'Vanderpump Rules' Taking Brief Production Pause, Not Filming This Summer

Bravo fans will have to wait a bit longer than usual for "Vanderpump Rules" season 12 -- because the reality show is shaking up its production timeline … TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Lisa Vanderpump-led series will not film this summer -- breaking from its usual tradition of kicking off production in May and keeping cameras rolling through June and July.

The reason ... our sources say Bravo and co. feel they need to give the cast a break and let their lives breathe a bit in the wake of Scandoval -- which has consumed much of the current season ... and which has run dry at this point.

We're told producers want to let the cast do their own thing for a bit without jumping right back into another summer of filming -- all in the hopes that by the time they come back and shoot ... there'll have been some big developments and new drama to capture.

Despite this pause in production, our sources are insistent ... the show is NOT canceled. While it's unclear when exactly they'll pick things up again ... we know it won't be a year.

There's also this ... Ariana Madix has been named Sarah Hyland's replacement as the host of "Love Island USA" ... and sources tell us she'll be filming in Fiji for a few months soon, an additional factor in the decision to pause production.

In other words ... everyone just needs a break for the moment, and they'll circle back to 'VPR' in due time.

This news comes after a tense season 11 reunion for the cast ... which has been teased by several people connected to 'VPR.' Andy Cohen, who hosts the 'Pump Rules' reunion episodes, described it as "incredibly intense and electric" -- a sentiment shared by longtime star Katie Maloney.