Olivia Wilde Joins Daniel Craig In Cowboys And Aliens

It seems like we've been writing about Jon Favreau's Cowboys and Aliens forever, but now the project finally seems to be moving forward. We previously reported that Robert Downey Jr. is out (most likely because of Sherlock Holmes 2), and that Daniel Craig is replacing him as the lead gunslinger. Today we learned that Olivia Wilde (House, The O.C.) is joining the project as a character named Ella who helps the gunslinger fight the alien invasion. I would expect more casting to trickle out over the next few months, especially if Favreau actually wants to start shooting in July.

Wilde is an odd choice for the roll given that she hasn't really tackled any action or genre projects thus far (unless you count the direct-to-DVD The Death and Life of Bobby Z — which I'm not). She does have a big role in the upcoming Tron Legacy, and we have seen pictures of her in in a Tron suit, so she could end up kicking some ass there. She's also starring in the upcoming Paul Haggis drama The Next Three Days. Otherwise, I've enjoyed her work in The O.C. and House well enough, and I'd be interested to see her dynamic with Craig.

Star Trek scribes Alex Kurtz and Roberto Orci wrote the script along with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof. An earlier draft of the script was written by Iron Man and Children of Men screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby.

The film is an adaptation of a graphic novel series by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who's also producing. It's set 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."

You can check out the first issue of the comic for free here.