Netflix‘s upcoming live-action adaptation of the cult classic Japanese sci-fi anime series Cowboy Bebop (1998) will be delayed following an on-set injury.
John Cho, the Korean American actor who is set to play the series’ main character, Spike Spiegel, suffered a knee injury in what Deadline described as a “freak accident” during the rehearsal of a scene near the beginning of October.
Cho, 47, was reportedly flown back from New Zealand — where Netflix was shooting the 10-episode series — to his home in Los Angeles, Calif., where he later underwent surgery.
According to Variety, the nature of the incident was not made clear by sources, however, it was confirmed that production on Cowboy Bebop will be halted for at least seven months, and possibly even nine.
Following the incident, Cho took to Instagram to thank his fans for the “well wishes.” He shared an image of his character’s belt, adding the Bruce Lee quote: “Water can flow or it can crash.”
“Gonna be back and flowing in no time,” concluded Cho.
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Cho’s injury will supposedly require extensive rehabilitation before he gets back on his feet.
Production on the highly-anticipated series will resume as soon as the Harold & Kumar star’s prognosis is clear.
Cowboy Bebop is a much-beloved 26-episode anime that only lasted one year. It was created by Sunrise, a Japanese animation studio and followed the story of Spiegel, who is, according to Netflix, an “impossibly cool bounty hunter with a deadly smile, a wry wit, and style to spare.”
Spiegel, along with his ex-force partner, Jet (Mustafa Shakir) and a “ragtag crew of bounty hunters, chase down the galaxy’s most dangerous criminals.”
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Global News has reached out to a representative of Netflix seeking further comment.
As of this writing, there is no official release date for Cowboy Bebop.