BREAKING: Michelle MacLaren has been set to direct Cowboy Ninja Viking for Universal Pictures. The pic is based on the Image Comics graphic novel by AJ Lieberman and illustrator Riley Rossmo. MacLaren, who most recently executive produced and directed the pilot of the James Franco-Maggie Gyllenhaal Times Square series The Deuce, has been negotiating on this project for so long it feels like the deal started back when cowboys, ninjas and vikings proliferated. Finally, they’ve got a hot director to build this film around Pratt, who plays an assassin who manifests the toughest skills of those three tail-kicking groups. Universal has dated the film for June 28, 2019 release.

MacLaren was the Executive Producer on Breaking Bad, where she was nominated for a DGA Award and won Golden Globe and Emmy Awards. MacLaren has directed on some of the most successful television series of all time, including Game of Thrones, West World and The Walking Dead. She is ready to take the leap for a good sized budgeted studio film with attitude.

Craig Mazin wrote the most recent draft, the original of which was done by Zombieland scribes Paul Wernick and Everett David Reese.

Entertainment 360 (the production arm of Management 360), The Mark Gordon Company’s Mark Gordon, Michael De Luca Productions’ Michael De Luca and Pratt will produce.

Uni production veep Sara Scott is overseeing. Pratt is repped by UTA, Rise Management, and Sloane, Offer; MacLaren is ICM Partners and Stone, Genow.