Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. Team Up For 'Cowboys & Aliens'
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I really believe this is the best geek news we'll have all month. Not only is Robert Downey Jr. officially on board Cowboys & Aliens, The Hollywood Reporter announced that he's bringing Jon Favreau along for the ride. Considering the original screenplay was penned by Iron Man screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, it's literally a dream team come true. As if it wasn't touched by the movie gods enough, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, they-who-can-write-no-failures, are penning the script, and producer Damon Lindelof came aboard last fall. There's no way this can fail. Even if the movie was one big trick, and simply 2 hours of Robert Downey Jr. in a cowboy hat reading a phone book, it would succeed. We would just call it arthouse, and praise them all for subverting our expectations!
But there's no danger of arthouse here, Cowboys & Aliens really does promise to be pure fun with this team. The story takes place in 1880s Arizona, where a war is raging between settlers and Native Americans. Their war is interrupted by the arrival of a UFO, which promptly unleashes hell onto the plains of Silver City. The Native Americans and settlers must unite to fight a larger threat, and are led to battle by Zeke Jackson (Downey), a gunslinger and former member of the Union Army. You can read the entire graphic novel online, which should keep you satisfied until Cowboys & Aliens hits theaters in the summer of 2011.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-01-2009 @ 10:10PM
Scott Nye said...
Kurtzman and Orci wrote the Transformers films and The Island. The concept that they can do no wrong doesn't register on almost any level.
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9-01-2009 @ 10:51PM
villageidjut said...
I think she was simply acknowledging their recent hot streak and studios' attitude twoards them.Go check out how many projects they have listed as in development.
9-02-2009 @ 3:52PM
cablebfg said...
Exactly Villageidjut. And lets not forget the ridiculous amount of money Transformers has made.
9-01-2009 @ 11:09PM
TheCritic28 said...
Silver City Arizona? Hmm... that's strange. I live in Silver City, NM. Obviously Silver City Arizona is made up though.
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9-02-2009 @ 2:36AM
Jen said...
Why has no one made a Pirates v. Ninjas movie yet?
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9-02-2009 @ 9:11AM
filmsuki said...
That would set the bar too high for everyone else. Seriously, once you make a Pirates vs Ninjas movie there's nowhere to go but down.
9-02-2009 @ 10:01PM
Jen said...
Makes sense.
9-02-2009 @ 6:42PM
annonymous said...
I think this is fantastic news! Robert Downey Jr and Jon Favereu seem to make wonderful movies together. Ironman 1 was great and I am sure Ironman 2 will be even better. They seem to play very well off of each other. The key to a great actor is actually (I think) getting along great with their director and producers. RDJ loves JF like a brother and he idolizes Ron Howard and Steven Speilberg so the movie should be fantastic. RDJ will be giving it his all and his greatest work for these three men. When RDJ gives his all into something you know it will be "spectacular". I really can't wait to see this. I am very excited. I am sure it will have an intelligent edge and the best special effects with those involved. It's great to see RDJ finally getting the great and big movies he deserved all along.
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9-02-2009 @ 11:17AM
Chet said...
So the graphic novel was penned by good screenwriters, but the movie version goes to the robot testicle twins?
Not saying they can't do good work, but they can't be trusted. Who's directing? That's what will make or break this flick.
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9-02-2009 @ 3:49PM
cablebfg said...
Come on Chet, don't forget Orci and Kurtzman were behind the awesome "Star Trek"
9-02-2009 @ 3:50PM
cablebfg said...
and, btw, Jon Favreau is directing. Elisabeth, in her excited frenzy, forgot to make that crystal clear.
9-03-2009 @ 12:18AM
Chet said...
I searched around the Interwebs, and Favreau's role is not clear. He hasn't Twittered anything about it either. So I'm not assuming he's the director, especially since that would be a major undertaking -- showing up for a role, not so much.
Star Trek? JJ Abrams and a fine cast and crew made that shine. Like I said, O&K can't be trusted to deliver the goods.
It's said that it takes at least two out of three elements to make a good flick: cast, director, script. So far as I'm concerned, this announcement only checks the "cast" box.
9-02-2009 @ 2:16PM
Stephie said...
I can't help but wonder if this move by "the robot testicle twins" (nice way to describe them, Chet... ;-) ) isn't connected in some way to Disney's massive $4 billion dollar takeover of Marvel on Monday.
From what I've read about the deal over the last couple of days, many folks are concerned -- with some justification -- that Marvel's movies might get the watered-down, kiddiefied treatment from Disney, especially the more harder-edged Marvel characters (like Ghost Rider and The Punisher).
Since JF and RDJ already conquered Marvel, they've decided to move on to yet another graphic novel which has the potential to become a successful movie franchise.
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9-02-2009 @ 3:35PM
cablebfg said...
awesome awesome awesome awesome. Elisabeth, i couldn't agree more. No way this will fail.
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9-02-2009 @ 3:54PM
cablebfg said...
Also, I'd like to point out that the co-screen writers for "Iron Man" did not write this graphic novel. They were ADAPTING it.
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9-29-2009 @ 10:56PM
cablebfg said...
Chet, you didnt look very hard.
http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2009/09/jon-favreau-making-cowboys-and-aliens.html
Even the IMDB page lists Favreau as the director.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/
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