Initially postponed one week in light of the Dallas sniper attack – from July 19 to July 26 – USA Network has now opted to push Shooter all the way to fall, claiming it is simply “not the right time” for the spinoff series.
USA made the decision soon after the fatal shooting of three police officers in Baton Rogue this past weekend, with an official statement revealing that, “after further consideration, USA Network, Paramount TV and Universal Cable Productions have decided to move the premiere of Shooter to the fall.” No premiere date was disclosed at the time of writing.
Thrusting Ryan Phillippe into the role of ex-Marine Bob Lee Swagger, Shooter chronicles his journey out of a self-imposed exile “by his former commanding officer and now top Secret Service agent Isaac Johnson (Omar Epps),” with the nation gripped by an assassination threat against the President of the United States.
Themes of rogue agents and terrorism are part and parcel of USA Network’s high-profile offshoot, meaning it’s not all that surprising the network has opted to postpone the series indefinitely, particularly in light of the deplorable killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille in separate police incidents along with the Dallas sniper attack that followed.
So, there you have it; in light of tragic real-world events, Shooter has been shelved once again. It’s without a premiere date for now, but we’ll keep you posted as USA Network realigns its Ryan Phillippe-fronted thriller for a fall debut.