Whoa there cult cowboy!
Star’s on-set injury delays filming in Auckland
The busted knee of a Hollywood heartthrob has dashed initial plans to film a live-action Netflix remake of a hit anime series in Auckland.
It was revealed last month the streaming giant would film Cowboy Bebop, starring John Cho and employing more than 400 people, in and around the city until December.
Cho and his co-stars had been spotted around Auckland before Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development chief executive Nick Hill confirmed principal photography was planned in Auckland.
A source close to production revealed yesterday Cho injured his knee on set in Auckland on October 5.
“The injury was a freak accident. It happened on the last take of a routine and wellrehearsed scene. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”
Production on the show would continue after a sevento nine-month break while Cho recovered, the source said.
“We are committed to the show and to John. We’re also committed to bringing back as much of the other cast and crew as possible.
“We’ll know more about the new production schedule once John’s prognosis is clear.”
A Netflix spokesperson said the company’s “thoughts are with John”.
“He has our complete support as he recuperates from this injury.”
The 10-episode first season of Cowboy Bebop, a live-action version of the cult Japanese animated science fiction series of the same name, is the largest ever for a television production in Auckland.
It is the first Netflix original series to be filmed in New Zealand.
Cho — known for his roles
The injury was a freak accident. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Source
in the rebooted Star Trek film franchise, as well as Harold & Kumar — stars in Cowboy Bebop as Spike Spiegel, described by Deadline as “an impossibly cool “cowboy” (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit and style to spare”.
He travelled through space with his ex-cop partner to hunt down the future’s most dangerous bounties.
Actor and rapper Mustafa Shakir, known for Marvel’s Luke Cage and who plays Jet Black in the reboot, had also been seen around Auckland and had been posting pictures to social media, including a stunning visit to Piha Beach.
The series stars Daniella Pineda as amnesiac bounty hunter Faye Valentine and Alex Hassell as Vicious, the Syndicate’s notorious hitman and Spike’s archenemy.
Pineda has also been getting in on the Insta-action, posting some gorgeous holiday snaps from Whitianga.
Cowboy Bebop is a coproduction between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios (a partnership between Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios).
Hill said last month a company of Netflix global reputation choosing to film a major new series in Auckland was a huge vote of confidence in the quality of the city’s screen industry.
In June it was revealed a “huge” part of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series — set to be the most expensive TV show ever at $1.5 billion plus — would be produced in New Zealand.
Auckland’s screen industry gross revenue was $2.43b in 2018, down from $2.66b in 2017, and out of a total of $3.3b for the country.