No longer will a crazy western/supernatural comic book adaptation be directed by men on roller skates. Crank directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have taken their exit from the production of Jonah Hex. They also wrote the script, and I wouldn’t much expect to see it make the slog through any process of finding a new helmer.
There had been talk of Josh Brolin playing the lead, and Variety’s article on the Neveldine/Taylor departure still pushes the actor as the most likely star. But only recently, while doing junket press for Milk, Brolin said he wasn’t sure at all whether he would take the role. Between his outstanding recent work in everything from No Country For Old Men to Milk to W, the guy’s got an all-new, all-marketable profile. He doesn’t want to screw that up — question now is, was Brolin’s reluctance part of the reason for Neveldine and Taylor’s departure? It’s easy to speculate, since a studio now would want Brolin more than them; he’s getting closer to being a name that can pull an audience. ‘Creative differences’ seems to be the reason for the split, which can mean anything. The co-directors are very vocal with the press, so we’re likely to know more soon.
Brolin’s quotes about the film come from Frosty at Collider.
Q: You will be playing a comic book character soon. You’re doing Jonah Hex, right?
Josh: Nope.
Q: You’re not doing Jonah Hex?
Josh: Don’t know yet…I have a very tough time deciding, except for Milk. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know. It’s a very good time. It’s a very good time and I don’t want to slight anybody and I don’t want to insult anybody, but the fact of the matter is with more decisions comes a little more pressure. For me, I just try and find that thing that really resonates.