Cowboy Ninja Viking

[GeneChing]

Disney Gets Three-For-One With 'Cowboy Ninja Viking' (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/disney-three-cowboy-ninja-viking-42589)
9:32 PM 11/6/2010 by Borys Kit

In an eyebrow-raising move, Disney has picked up the movie rights to Cowboy Ninja Viking, an action comic with Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick attached to pen the script.

Mark Gordon, Management 360, and Wernick & Reese are attached to produce.

The players took out the script to studios earlier in the week with Disncey coming in late in the week to nab the package.

The reason the pick up is odd is that the comic, from writer AJ Lieberman and artist Riley Rossmo, features a violent action story centering around an assassin with multiple personalities.

From Image Comics' own description, Cowboy Ninja Viking "is the creation of Doctor Sebastian Ghislain, a psychotherapist who recruits Multiple Personality Disorder patients to produce a unit of counter-intelligence agents called Triplets. When they become out of control assassins? That’s when the deadliest Triplet of them all, Cowboy Ninja Viking, is called in to take down his own brethren."

WME-repped Reese and Wernick's became hot writers off of Zombieland. Since then, the duo have been tasked with coming up with a sequel, sold a pitch titled Earth vs. Moon, worked on the sequel to G.I. Joe, and most recently worked on the Deadpool script for Fox. More ninjas...:rolleyes:

[Shaolinlueb]

the cowboy viking part sounds more awesome tell you the truth.

[GeneChing]

Cowboy Ninja Viking / 19 Nov 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy Star Chris Pratt May Star in Cowboy Ninja Viking Film (http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/19/guardians-of-the-galaxy-star-chris-pratt-to-star-in-cowboy-ninja-viking-film)

Pratt reportedly says yes to another comic role.

By Cassidee Moser Update: Pratt has now dropped the following tweet in response to the rumors:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B25UcPzCQAAERbi.jpg:large

That would seem to be a confirmation, eh? Original story follows...

Chris Pratt is rumored star in the planned feature film adaptation of Cowboy Ninja Viking.

Best known for his work in Parks and Recreation and Guardians of the Galaxy, Pratt, according to Collider, has been tapped to play Duncan, the protagonist of A.J. Lieberman and Riley Rossmo's graphic novel.

Struggling with a multiple personality disorder, Duncan is able to switch between the identities of a cowboy, a ninja, and a Viking, all while assuming the skills native to each identity.

He's better known as a Triplet, a person with multiple personalities who has been manipulated by the government for the purpose of becoming an assassin with a varied skill set.

A script initially penned by Zombieland writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese was shot down by Disney for being too edgy and later picked up by Universal. Currently, no director is attached to the film.

Pratt's most recent comic book adaptation role was in Guardians of the Galaxy, in which he played Peter Quill alongside Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, and Vin Diesel.
Anyone familiar with the graphic novel?

[GeneChing]

These updates are few and far in between, but I imagine there will be more now...


AUGUST 08, 2017 10:16am PT by Pamela McClintock
Chris Pratt's 'Cowboy Ninja Viking' Gets Summer 2019 Release Date (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chris-pratts-cowboy-ninja-viking-gets-summer-2019-release-date-1027687)
The actor has wanted to make the movie for several years.

http://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2017/08/chris_pratt_and_cowboy_ninja_viking_cover_3-_split_-_getty_-_h_2017.jpg
Left, Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Chris Pratt

The actor has wanted to make the movie for several years.
Universal's adaptation of Cowboy Ninja Viking, starring Chris Pratt, will hit theaters on June 28, 2019, the beginning of the lucrative July Fourth holiday corridor.

That's welcome news for fans of the Image Comics graphic novel. The film, which has been in the works since 2014, is finally a go, with Michael De Luca coming aboard as one of the producers alongside Guymon Casady, Mark Gordon and Pratt.

Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World) stars as a new kind of assassin who manifests the toughest skills of three different personas. The graphic novel is from AJ Lieberman and illustrator Riley Rossmo.

Cowboy Ninja Viking further strengthens the relationship between Pratt and Universal, home of the Jurassic World franchise. The project is out to directors.

Pratt, who first became interested in Cowboy Ninja in 2014, is one of Hollywood's most in-demand actors and has a full dance card. He was in theaters this summer in Disney and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. He'll make an appearance in The Avengers: Infinity War, which is set to bow May 4, 2018, while Jurassic World: Hidden Kingdom is slated to open June 22, 2018.

So far, the only other film scheduled to open on June 28, 2019, is Paramount's untitled Transformers 7.

[GeneChing]

JANUARY 31, 2018 1:00pm PT by Borys Kit
Chris Pratt's 'Cowboy Ninja Viking' Finds Its Director in Michelle MacLaren (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chris-pratts-cowboy-ninja-viking-finds-director-michelle-maclaren-1045887)
The helmer has previously worked on 'Breaking Bad' and 'Game of Thrones.'

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2018/01/chris_pratt_and_michelle_mclaren_-_split_-_getty_-_h_2018.jpg
Left, Neilson Barnard, right, Jeff Vespa, both Getty Images

The helmer has previously worked on 'Breaking Bad' and 'Game of Thrones.'

Michelle MacLaren, who is best known for her award-winning work on acclaimed television shows Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, has nabbed the gig to direct Chris Pratt in Universal’s Cowboy Ninja Viking.

Universal prioritized the project, which has been in development since 2014, in the summer when it dated the action movie for a June 28, 2019, release.

MacLaren beat out Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda) and Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) for the gig.

Cowboy Ninja Viking tells of a counter-intelligence unit that uses multiple personality disorder patients to create agents known as Triplets, referring to the three personalities the killers have. When the agents become rogue hired guns, the deadliest Triplet of them all, Cowboy Ninja Viking, is called in to take down his own brethren.

The project is based on the Image Comics title by A.J. Lieberman and illustrator Riley Rossmo.

Craig Mazin (The Hangover II) wrote the most recent draft of the screenplay. The original draft was written by Zombieland writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.

Producing are Entertainment 360, the production arm of Management 360, Molly's Game's Mark Gordon via The Mark Gordon Co., The Social Network's Michael De Luca via his Michael De Luca Productions, and Pratt.

Sara Scott will oversee production on behalf of the studio.

MacLaren is one of the most in-demand helmers for prestige and big-budget TV shows, also having worked on such hits as Westworld, The Leftovers, The Walking Dead, and most recently the pilot for HBO's The Deuce, on top of her defining work on Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones.

It was that work that prompted Warners to originally set her to direct Wonder Woman, although the two sides later parted ways over creative differences.

She is also attached to direct the World War II thriller The Nightingale at TriStar, but with Viking’s release date set, it looks as though her feature debut will be that Pratt picture.

MacLaren is repped by ICM Partners and Stone Genow.

Amazing that this thread began in 2010.

[GeneChing]

I love her. I watched Quantico just for her, until it just got too soap opera-esque for me. If you want to see how she's not just another pretty face and is quite a talented actress, check out Barfi! (2012)


JULY 30, 2018 3:00pm PT by Tatiana Siegel
Priyanka Chopra Nabs Female Lead Opposite Chris Pratt in 'Cowboy Ninja Viking' (https://edit.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/priyanka-chopra-joins-chris-pratt-cowboy-ninja-viking-1130760)

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2018/07/gettyimages-966544676_copy.jpg
Rich Fury/Getty Images
Priyanka Chopra

The 'Quantico' star will play the love interest of Pratt in the Universal tentpole that is in preproduction.

Priyanka Chopra has landed the female lead opposite Chris Pratt in Universal's Cowboy Ninja Viking.

The Quantico star will play the love interest of Pratt in the big-budget tentpole that is in preproduction.

The film is being directed by Michelle MacLaren (Game of Thrones) from a screenplay by Dan Mazeau, Ryan Engle, Craig Mazin, Paul Wernick and David Reese. Based on the Image Comics graphic novel by A.J. Lieberman and illustrator Riley Rossmo, the story revolves around a counter-intelligence unit formed by psychotherapist Dr. Sebastian Ghislain, who transforms agents known as Triplets, a reference to multiple personalities. Pratt is playing a formidable agent with the fighting skills and personalities of a cowboy, a ninja,and a viking.

Guymon Casady and Ben Forkner are producing Cowboy Ninja Viking alongside Michael De Luca, Mark Gordon and Pratt. Sara Scott is overseeing on behalf of the studio.

Universal has carved out a June 28, 2019, release date for the film.

Chopra most recently appeared in the Sundance drama A Kid Like Jake, opposite Jim Parsons and Claire Danes, and the Dwayne Johnson starrer Baywatch. She is repped by WME.

[GeneChing]

This news is nearly a year old, but we missed it so I'm posting it now, just in case anyone was waiting...


Exclusive: Chris Pratt’s ‘Cowboy Ninja Viking’ Pulled From Release Calendar, Delayed Indefinitely (http://collider.com/chris-pratt-cowboy-ninja-viking-delayed/)
BY JEFF SNEIDER AUGUST 7, 2018

http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/guardians-of-the-galaxy-2-chris-pratt-slice.jpg

One month before production had been slated to start, Universal has removed the Chris Pratt action vehicle Cowboy Ninja Viking from its release calendar and delayed production indefinitely, though the film remains in active development, Collider has exclusively learned.

Michelle MacLaren (Game of Thrones) had been set to make her feature directorial debut with the film, which is based on the Image Comics graphic novel by AJ Lieberman and illustrator Riley Rossmo. She remains attached to direct, just as Pratt remains attached to play Duncan, a new kind of assassin who manifests the toughest skills of three different personas — a cowboy, a ninja and a viking. He would’ve been joined by Priyanka Chopra, who had been in talks to play the female lead. Should the project get off the ground in the future, Chopra would likely be the first choice for the role, though her involvement would all depend on her schedule aligning with a new production schedule.

Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans) and Ryan Engle (Rampage) wrote the most recent draft of the script. Craig Mazin (The Hangover II) wrote an earlier draft, while the original draft was written by Deadpool writers Paul Wernick and Everett David Reese.

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Image via Marvel

Cowboy Ninja Viking had been in pre-production when Universal ended discussions with potential supporting cast, according to sources. The film was expected to be a summer tentpole for Universal, which had dated it for June 28, 2019, though sources say the studio wasn’t eager to rush to meet that release date, given that it has franchise hopes for the property. Pratt is still producing the project with Michael De Luca, Mark Gordon and Entertainment 360, and Universal is expected to re-date the project at a later time.

It has been a rough couple weeks for Pratt, whose latest Guardians of the Galaxy sequel was dealt a blow when Disney fired James Gunn after some of his offensive old tweets resurfaced online. Pratt came out in support of his director, though he did not condone Gunn’s tweets. Yes, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has turned a huge profit for Universal, but the sequel will still come in about $400 million below the first film, and let’s not forget that Pratt’s expensive sci-fi movie Passengers, which paired him with a strong box office draw in Jennifer Lawrence, barely turned a profit. Frankly, Cowboy Ninja Viking always felt like a bit of a gamble, as Pratt’s only major hits have been part of the MCU or the Jurassic franchise, though sources say CNV‘s budget was relatively modest for an ambitious action film of that nature. Despite this latest setback with Universal, Pratt is set to reprise his role as Owen Grady in the studio’s upcoming Jurassic World 3. The actor will next be seen in Vincent D’Onofrio‘s western The Kid, and he also returns for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. A representative for the actor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Image via Image Comics