Chris Pratt has received a number of blows recently, perhaps most notably when James Gunn was fired from the latest Guardians of the Galaxy film. He's since come out in support of the director, hoping, alongside the rest of the cast, that Disney and Marvel will rethink their decision, but now he's just gotten more bad news. Cowboy Ninja Viking, an action film based on the comic of the same name set to star Pratt has been delayed by Universal.
The movie was to be helmed by Game of Thrones director Michelle MacLaren in what would have been her feature directional debut. She's still attached to direct the film, and Pratt remains attached in the leading role, but it's unknown as to when or if the film will continue production. Priyanka Chopra was in talks to play the female lead opposite Pratt, and it was originally set to start production as soon as next month.
Cowboy Ninja Viking was written by Dan Mazeau of Wrath of the Titans and Ryan Engle of Rampage, although an earlier draft of the script was handled by The Hangover II scribe Craig Mazin. Before that, the writing team of Deadpool, Paul Wernick and Everett David Reese, wrote the very first draft.
Cowboy Ninja Viking was already in the pre-production stages when Universal stalled the project, ending discussions with actors for the potential supporting cast. It was to be a hopeful huge summer blockbuster for Universal, originally scheduled for a release of June 28, 2019, although it definitely won't hit that date anymore. Universal has yet to re-date the film, effectively delaying it indefinitely.
