In terrible news for fans of John Cho and classic anime, Netflix has reportedly suspended production of its live-action Cowboy Bebop reboot after the star sustained a freak knee injury while filming.
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Deadline reports Cho was performing the final take of a well-rehearsed routine when the incident occurred.
Sources with knowledge of the situation say Cho has returned from New Zealand to Los Angeles for surgery and is expected to remain sidelined for months as he recovers.
While he is thought to have already filmed his scenes in several episodes, Deadline states production will be halted for up to nine months as Cho undergoes rehabilitation.
Cho was cast as protagonist Spike Spiegel, an interplanetary bounty hunter and generally cool dude, and recent images from his Instagram account suggest he’s really been dialing in Spiegel’s trademark aesthetic.
Deadline states that while the production is still in relatively early days, Netflix has no desire to re-cast the role and pump out the series. That’s a relief, to say the least.
Cho will be joined by co-stars Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Alex Hassell, and Elena Satine, as they contend with the (obviously) difficult task of imagining one of anime’s most beloved properties as a live-action series.
Also, as evidenced by Netflix’s latest teaser, Cho will share the screen with a real-life corgi in the role of Ein.
Get well, space cowboy.
