devilshalo

September 01, 2009
Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr. making 'Cowboys & Aliens'
By Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit

Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. are bringing their iron-clad collaboration to another comic-book property: "Cowboys & Aliens."

Downey has been attached to the DreamWorks/Universal project since last summer, when "Iron Man" co-screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby were working on the adaptation of the Platinum Studios Comics graphic novel written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley.

In the fall, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who are executive producers on the project, took over scripting, along with "Lost" exec producer Damon Lindelof.

Now Favreau has come on to make "Cowboys" his next directing gig.

The sci-fi Western explores what would happen if the traditional Old West enemies -- cowboys and Native Americans -- found the prairie attacked by aliens in mid-1800s Arizona. Long in development, the "Aliens" project originally was set up at Universal and DreamWorks in 1997 with Steve Oedekerk writing and directing. It later moved to Columbia, with "Sahara" scribes Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Donnelly writing.

The Favreau-Downey-Kurtzman-Orci-Lindelof nexus represents the current nucleus of geek-genre pop culture. Kurtzman and Orci recently delivered the sci-fi megahits "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," Lindelof maintains his control over the "Lost" mind screw, and Favreau and Downey will serve up another highly anticipated "Iron Man" saga next year.

For DreamWorks, the property represents an essential tentpole to help elevate its newly independent status now that the studio's first round of financing is complete. DreamWorks included "Cowboys" among the 17 projects it bought from Paramount upon leaving last fall.

As part of that exit arrangement, Paramount has an option to co-distribute the film with new DreamWorks distributor Disney, an opportunity it presumably will engage given Favreau's $585 million worldwide success on the Paramount-distributed "Iron Man."

Imagine Entertainment principals Brian Grazer and Ron Howard -- the latter once a possibility to direct -- are producing with Platinum topper Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. Universal, where Imagine is housed, co-developed and is co-financing the project.

As it ramps up production for the next few years' slates, DreamWorks likely would anchor its 2011 summer to "Cowboys." DreamWorks and Kurtzman and Orci also are developing the Platinum property "Atlantis Rising," another big-budget sci-fi hybrid, with director Len Wiseman and writer Joby Harold.

The CAA-repped Favreau is in postproduction on Paramount/Marvel's "Iron Man 2," slated for a May release. As a writer and actor, he will next appear in the Oct. 9 Universal comedy "Couples Retreat." He is also providing a voice to the MGM comedy "The Zookeeper."

Solid Snake

interesting.

RocShemp

When I saw 'Cowboys & Aliens' the first thing that popped into my head was a blurb from my DVD set of The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

This seems interesting, however. I'll keep an eye out for more info.

RagingBull80

I certainly like the idea.

rexinnih

Does sound interesting. Could be well done in Favreau and Downey's hands.

CharlieK

Hmmm, sounds like SyFy's amazingly exciting 'High Plains Invaders'. Pity, I expect something a little more original from these guys .

devilshalo

Daniel Craig circles 'Cowboys'
Bond thesp may step in for Downey Jr.
By ALI JAAFAR

DreamWorks and Jon Favreau are in talks with Daniel Craig to play the lead role in "Cowboys and Aliens" after Robert Downey Jr. ankled the project.

Craig has been offered the role of Jake Johnson in the pic, based on the 2006 graphic novel about a group of Apache Indians and Western settlers who resolve to patch up their differences when an alien spaceship crash-lands in their city.

Reps for Craig said it was too early to comment on whether the actor would board "Cowboys and Aliens," which Favreau is directing. Project is written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof.

While it is still early days and Craig has not officially accepted the role, the thesp does have a long-standing relationship with DreamWorks, having appeared in "Munich" and "Road to Perdition."

He also stars in Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" for Paramount and Sony.

With production on the next James Bond pic up in the air until the fate of beleagured MGM is decided, Craig may have a open slot in his schedule to shoot "Cowboys and Aliens."

Solid Snake

soooo wait...why is RDJR not in this anymore?

devilshalo

My Other Self

I would rather have had RDJ in this than Sherlock 2.

Dr. DVD

I would rather have RDJ in just about any pulp action role than whom they ultimately choose.

Blu Man

Even without RDJ it still sounds good. He was good in Tropic Thunder and Iron Man, but he wasn't that great it Sherlock Holmes (accent was shit) and honestly from the trailer, Iron Man 2 doesn't look that good. Liking the sound of this film though, and I'm sure i'll buy into IM2 after a good trailer.

Solid Snake

hrm...I'd prefer RDJ in this..love his comedic timing.

devilshalo

April 07, 2010
Jon Favreau tweets Harrision Ford 'Cowboys and Aliens' casting

Is Harrison Ford in "Cowboys and Aliens?"

Casting speculation has run rampant since Monday when Jon Favreau tweeted that he had some cool casting news coming down the pipe regarding the new movie he is directing for DreamWorks.

It was Latino Review that first speculated it was Ford who was joining the movie.

Today, Favreau tweeted “Please stop asking if Harrison Ford is in 'Cowboys & Aliens.' Okay? He is. Please don't tell anybody.”

While the tweet took DreamWorks execs as well as Ford’s agency by surprise, it isn’t the first time that Favreau, an avid tweeter, has gone rogue with his Twitter account. The director initially feverishly tweeted from the set of “Iron Man 2” and was told to reign it in.

Dr. DVD

I actually read the short GN a month or so ago. Fun story, but they will need to flesh it out a bit, as the whole read was quite fast. The plot also seemed a bit like a paint by the numbers pulp novel.

MrSmearkase

Heat Vision is reporting that Sam Rockwell is joining the cast;

spainlinx0

I did not know that Transformers was SciFi.

Mr. Cinema

LOVE Sam Rockwell, so this is great news that he's added to the cast.

MrSmearkase

More casting, from comingsoon.net

MrSmearkase

The cast just keeps getting better...

Walton Goggins joins Cowboys & Aliens

Troy Stiffler

Glad to see that they're still backing this, after Jonah Hex - along with every sci-fi western ever made.

Has there ever been a good, sucessful one? Closest thing I can think of is the Serenity movie.

Solid Snake

and
i dunno if you can call that one a success....financially speaking

gmanca

Back to the Future III would be the biggest, I think.

Really do hope this does well and am looking forward to seeing it.

Big Boy Laroux

This definitely has one thing going for it over Jonah Hex (well, besides what looks to be a much better cast):

A really cool title. Who in the heck wouldn't want to see a movie about cowboys and aliens fighting each other?

Solid Snake

I think the title for JSP is an odd and not exactly appealing title. BUT a good trailer will convince JSP about stuff like that.