Cowboys and Aliens has long been a joke among the movie community, known as the film that never could. After all, the movie has been in development for 12 long years.
It was originally planned in 1997 as a Universal and DreamWorks production with Steve Odekerk writing and directing, but that fell through a couple years later. Over the last decade a billion other screenwriters and companies have tried their hand at it but also completely failed at getting it off the ground, but things are finally looking up (to the skies) for it. Robert Downey Jr. signed on to star in it June, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard are producing it after liking the script by DW Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (the guys behind Iron Man), and now Jon Favreau is circling the project.
The only catch? Chud favorites Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are rewriting the script with Damon Lindelof (Lost)
The simple story (which was sold based on the strength of the silly image placed on a one-sheet alone) involves Old West cowboys fighting off aliens after a ufo crashes in Arizona. A comic based on the story was created back in 2006. If Favreau goes forth with the movie they want to start next summer- what this means for Iron Man 3 is uncertain.
But Robert Downey Jr. as a cowboy, fighting off aliens (and injuns!) with Favreau directing? This could be an incredible bit of campy fun. Let’s hope they get it going.