Robert Downey Jr. is in negotiations to star the big screen adaptation of the graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens. The project has been in development for the last ten years, even though the comic book was only released a couple years go (it was pitched for years before it was ever actually written). I haven’t read the book, but I will admit that the title alone makes it worthy of a big screen movie.
Written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley, the story takes place in the Old West, where “settlers and Native Americans wage a bloody battle for control of the land. But when the Earth is threatened by conquerors from the stars, these sworn enemies must work together to save all humanity.” Downey Jr would play a former Union Army gunslinger named Zeke Jackson. You can read the entire graphic novel for free online on drunkduck.com or check out the teaser trailer for the comic book below.
The latest screenplay was written by Iron Man and Children of Men scribes Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus. DreamWorks/Universal is eyeing as a possible 2010 tentpole release date.
source: THR
June 16th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Not that I’m being stereotypical or anything, but they need to throw Dwayne Johnson a line as one of those natives in the bottom picture.
Someone hand The Rock a big role already!
June 16th, 2008 at 5:37 am
If anything this looks very interesting having Downey Jr. added to the cast makes it even cooler..
June 16th, 2008 at 5:41 am
Yes it does sound cool as a concept and as a comic book. Let’s just hope it doesn’t turn out to be the disaster that Wild Wild West was (by mixing old western with sci fi).
June 16th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Those screenwriters + Downey Jr. inspire a lot of confidence. Off to read the comic now :)
June 16th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I hope they go for proper, bruce campbell / raimi silly fun with this.
June 16th, 2008 at 7:29 am
this could be a bad ass movie. i hope they dont mess it up
June 16th, 2008 at 7:49 am
If this becomes true then I think he won’t be in Iron Man 2.
June 16th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Cool idea, but does anyone write original movies anymore?
June 16th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Studio exec guy: What comic book movies are out there that we can still get our grubby little hands on?
Studio exec guy suck up: I don’t know sir, let me scour the interwebs and find some obscure title that sounds cool. Oh here’s one: Cowboys, indians, and aliens!
Studio exec guy: I should give you a raise! Genious! Let’s rape this!
Studio exec guy suck up: We should Downey Jr. too! He’s hot right now!
Studio exec guy: BRILLIANT!!
June 16th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Will it be as good as Outlaw Josie Wales? What a flick!
June 16th, 2008 at 8:30 am
wasnt there a far side comic about this ?
June 16th, 2008 at 8:45 am
For someone who was given a copy of this comic a few years ago, let me let you all know–it sucks. Horrible writing and art. Plus the way Platnum treats it’s talent is disgusting. I hope RDJ passes, he deserves better.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:55 am
This is a joke..right?
June 16th, 2008 at 10:12 am
I’d much rather see a film about cowboys killing terrorists.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:15 am
I also thought the title was cool as hell, and then I read it. Yikes. It’s difficult to imagine this being turned into something worthwhile.
Yeah, edc, maybe, if they did an Evil Dead thing with it.
If Downey Jr. is in fact doing it, I’m cautiously optimistic.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Good God this sounds awful.
June 16th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Holy shit, that artwork is horrible. Why is Downey doing this again?
June 16th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
So since Marvel and DC are making them money Hollywood just grabs any crappy comic book adaption they can get there hands on now?
June 16th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Looks interesting.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
jfive,
Well it’s only fair that Marvel and DC have produced crappy comic adaptions too. Everyone deserves a fair chance I suppose.
Hellboy, The Rocketeer, The Crow, From Hell, Sin City, 300, and Road To Perdition proved to be a well made non-DC/Marvel licenses.
June 16th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Rock got his chance with Scorpion King.
And that gawd awfull football movie.
I’m thinking Get Smart, is gonna ruin a few careers as well…..
Downey is doing Iron Man 2, nothings going to stop that! (Except sun exploding).
Rest assured I can tell you right now that it WON’T be as good as “Outlaw Josie Wales”. Nothing ever will.
And so are these aliens retards, I mean how hard can it be dealing with 45 long colts and buckshot. Don’t they have beam weapons or a cool Vin Da Loo gun?
Tell us ooopsi8abug ????
June 16th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Erm… Firefly, anyone?
June 17th, 2008 at 12:46 am
There are a few promising bit and pieces in the comic but honestly the story would have to be totally re-written; it’s all over the place. Most of the battle scenes just don’t make any sense.
The premise is still good but surely the screenwriters could have started from scatch instead of using this as their inspiration…
June 17th, 2008 at 8:02 am
C&AINO [in name only]
briscoe county jr and marc dacascos’ mute native american from brotherhood of th wolf put aside their differences to stop an invading fleet of mars attacks style martians.
that is what the name says to me, the comic might be not as good, but just buy the premise and change it, ala MIB [just don't hire sonnenfeld]
June 17th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Haha, I’m there!
July 9th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Yeah, it’s pretty much a crap comic hosted on a free webcomic server. The site’s owners, Platinum Comics are well known for screwing over their artists, by getting them to sign away their works to Platinum, who then in turn fire the creators and then try to sell the intellictual Property to Hollywood.
They are also running drunkduck into the ground.
The big joke is, Platinum think they are so huge, when most comic book stores have never even heard of their brand.
They got more notority for screwing over DJ Coffman, creator of Hero by Night, and they will do the same with the next winner of their yearly Comic Book Challenge.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
This thing’s been all over town for years (Dreamworks, Sony). The best thing about it is the title (which was on an earlier script from other writers that floated around before this. There’s even a hilarious low B grade film version already out there on the subject matter). I don’t know why a studio would pay to have the rights to this. Just go make your own.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Cowboys and Aliens film project might find themselves scooped by a project in development at Carolco. I believe its called Encounter at Buffalo Flats and has a very similar theme about cowboys confronting alines.