Production on Universal's adaptation of A.J. Lieberman and Riley Rossmo's comic-series "Cowboy Ninja Viking" was slated to underway in a month, but it seems that the project isn't coming together exactly as planned, which has led the studio to pull COWBOY NINJA VIKING from their release calendar and delay the production indefinitely. Ruh oh.
Collider first reported the news, but added that COWBOY NINJA VIKING is still in active development. The film had previously been slated for a June 28, 2019 release, but it seems that Universal wasn't eager to rush the production in order to meet the release date. Can't disagree with that. Pre-production was well underway and the studio had been in discussions with several potential supporting cast members, but those talks have ended while they get COWBOY NINJA VIKING in order. Universal still has high hopes for the potential franchise and it's expected that they'll nail down another release date further down the line. The film revolves around a counter-intelligence unit of Multiple Personality Disorder patients formed by psychotherapist Dr. Sebastian Ghislain, who are transformed into agents known as Triplets. Chris Pratt (JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM) is set to play Duncan, a formidable Triplet with the fighting skills and personalities of a cowboy, a ninja, and a viking who is sent to stop the other Triplets who have since gone rogue. Michelle MacLaren (Game of Thrones) is slated to direct from a script by Dan Mazeau (WRATH OF THE TITANS) and Ryan Engle (RAMPAGE). Priyanka Chopra (BAYWATCH) had recently been in talks to join the project as the female lead, but with this delay, it's not known if her schedule will still allow it once the new production time-line is announced.
We've seen so many examples of studios rushing into production in order to meet a release date, and it rarely works out, so it's a little refreshing that Universal pulled COWBOY NINJA VIKING after realizing that they weren't ready. Here's hoping that the extra time will work out in the film's benefit.