one piece It is existence month. Amidst the regular weekly releases of the final installment of Eiichiro Oda’s successful original manga, there have also been updates on the anime remake from WIT Studio One piece, Along with the release of the second season of the Netflix streamer, and the announcement of LEGO one piece private. That’s on top of all the promotions, from limited or limited-edition collaborations with companies from Popeye’s to Crocs.
In the middle of this one piece– Transforming Culture is an American fan experience like no other: Fan Fest Night’s Big Pirate Show. Last year’s experience included meet-and-greets for the Straw Hat Crew, an on-site artist creating original wanted posters, and themed food and drinks. This year, character interactions and photo ops, as well as themed dining experiences, return with a slightly new theme and location, along with a theatrical show produced in collaboration with Universal Studios Japan.
“In our first year of Fan Fest Nights, we were able to deliver one piece “As one of our core anime experiences,” says Stephen Serkis, senior director of entertainment production and executive producer of Universal Fan Fest Nights, “we had just seen such massive popularity and huge success that we knew there was more that we could do, more stories that we could tell and that we could do it in a greater way. That’s what immediately led us to be able to put one piece to the production stage.
Saint Joseph’s University, which partnered last year with USH on anime experiences for 2025 incl Jujutsu Kaisenhas been producing One Piece theatrical shows, sometimes up to 90 minutes long, since 2007. What fans can expect from USH is a little different, but engaging nonetheless. the Big Pirate Show It drops fans into the world of the Straw Hat Crew – Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper – along with the appearance of marines as the group searches for pop-greens, or seeds with instant growth and attack capabilities.
The Straw Hats aren’t alone in their search, with Buggy and another possible surprise making an appearance as audiences watch their favorite band of pirates battle threats in their latest adventure. For those who are not familiar with USH’s WaterWorld,… Big Pirate Show It will draw on its best performances – stunts, fight choreography, special effects, watercraft, pyrotechnics and audience engagement – for an epic show running on select nights between April 23 and May 16.
The experience will continue along Scooby-Doo Meets Universal Monsters: A Mystery in the Backgroundwhich takes fans of classic movie monsters to actual movie sets, where they can solve a new case with animated teen detectives. Other Fan Fest events include a trip to the Forbidden Forest as part of the Wizarding World’s Creatures Adventure, and a film screening Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Miracle: Moon Palace Deluxe Chapter at the DreamWorks Theater and the return of the popular Dungeons and Dragons experience.
Below, Siercks teases this year one piece Experience as part of Fan Fest Nights 2026.
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one piece It has a really expansive world, with tons of characters, locations, and arcs that you can click through. Where does this show fit in Oda’s world?
Last year we were able to introduce our guests and fans one pieceWhether you are a die-hard fan or [casually] He knew the brand or was new to animation. You had the opportunity to meet and greet a character and a member of the Straw Hat Crew. We are once again offering guests some of the story of the icon one piece Manga, we do it almost in an origin story way. We introduce you to the characters, some of the narrative, and the relationships between the characters, and thread the needle to create an entirely new story. It helps tie everything together in Fan Fest Nights in a way that encourages some character and world building one piece It is known as an adaptation of the live action set in Hollywood.
The show’s USJ is known for being wide-ranging and narratively engaging. But it’s also a regular theme park offering, versus an exclusive after-hours event. How is this show inspired by or similar to the USJ experience and how is it different?
We took a lot of inspiration from our entertainment partners at Universal Studios Japan, who were producing theatrical versions of one piece Over the past twenty years. I myself, the lead producer and lead of the show, was able to go to Universal Studios Japan last year and experience their show in real time. We’ve met many of the team members who created this offering, and we’ve enlisted a lot of their support in developing our experience as well. The reason for this is that they know this brand well, and they have done a great job of making it happen one piece The world has come to life over the years. And being able to go and see what they’re doing and adapt it for Fan Fest Nights here at Universal Studios Hollywood was a really meaningful experience.
Their presentation certainly allows for a deep dive into the current and newest version of the manga, which is new every year. We’re able to take the essence of that experience that they do so well and turn it into an event format fit for Fan Fest Nights, allowing our guests to immerse themselves in the experience, get to know these characters, and then continue their journey through the rest of the event night. We do this in a way that is authentic and representative of the brand, while also representing what we are building with Fan Fest Nights. It’s this immersive, fan-first, interactive experience that will not only be within the show, but will extend to the streets surrounding the venue as well. It allows us to introduce guests to the Straw Hat crew in a cool and exciting way that you can only do at a WaterWorld venue here at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Can you talk about what audiences can expect to see? How long will this last and where will the story go in terms of narrative and performance?
The show will last about 20 minutes, which is perfect timing for us to be able to introduce the characters, introduce the story, and find the solution that brings it all together. We spent a lot of time talking with our partners and team about where we want to put this story and narrative, so that manga fans and fans of the anime genre can understand it, but if you’re new to anime, you’ll also be able to recognize who these characters are and what they do. We found our place on Midori Island. It’s the starting location for this story, and it allows us to reference some newer anime characters and some newer anime characters, while still being an opportunity to platform fan-favorite characters along the way as well.
This show will also be action-packed from start to finish, from the way we introduce the characters, to how the conflict emerges as part of the story and how it is resolved in the end. One thing that’s going to be very special about this version of the show, and what we’re doing inside this space, is that we’re going to be bringing a lot of that action to the audience, so there’s going to be a lot of it happening inside and around you. It’s a way to further immerse you and connect with the characters in the story, while still being able to deliver all the stunts, pyrotechnics and action that this setting is known for.
I brought the Straw Hat crew to life last year with character meet-and-greets that included adorable costumes. How does that continue or change this year due to the exciting nature of the show?
Bringing characters to life is very important when you’re thinking about a distinct brand of story e.g one piece. Our costume team spends a lot of time developing these characters, what they’re wearing, and the makeup, making sure we pay attention to every detail. And last year, when we had the opportunity to create meet-and-greet experiences, that level of detail and authenticity was very important because it was a one-on-one interaction. You had the opportunity to talk to Luffy and take these photos with the other Straw Hat crew. We’ve brought the same level of detail to the theatrical presentation, We were able to leverage the same costume design team to create an experience that feels similarly connected to the characters, but also serves up a live theatrical experience on a larger scale. The team at Universal Studios Japan that has been doing this for so long has allowed us to create the best of the best when it comes to character experiences, both on and off the show that our guests will love being able to interact with.
One thing about him one piece What seems to be the key to the brand is the music. What can fans expect from the audio experience with this live show?
One of the great things about the audio elements of this show, especially how it works, is that the creative director supporting the development of the show is also a creative director of audio and video. So you can expect the music to play a very important role in terms of being able to drive the energy and the story forward, but it will also make it very familiar to audiences. You’ll connect with the different characters, different environments, and different stories told throughout the show experience.
Last year, I really leaned into those personal interactions and themed dining experiences. How do these things appear again as part of this year’s event?
We don’t just produce Big Pirate Showwhich is our experience at WaterWorld, but we’re out there reliving it Big pirate gatheringwhich last year was a meet-and-greet area. Our guests will once again have the opportunity to meet their favorite Straw Crew outside of the show experience and also experience connected food and beverage offerings, all in the same location. one piece You take over a portion of Fan Fest Nights, which allows us to really go that extra mile in terms of bringing the brand to life as part of the event experience.
Our culinary team does a fantastic job of bringing these different brands and moments to life through food presentation, but with one piece, Look for food this year that connects directly to the characters and some of the experiences we’re creating, expanding beyond what we were able to offer last year. This food will take center stage in terms of helping to connect the experience, both in terms of how you interact with it, but also in terms of its presentation throughout the event.
