Favreau, Downey Reunite on ‘Cowboys & Aliens’

Published by Jeff Leins on: September 3rd, 2009

Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. will reunite for Cowboys & Aliens, a long gestating concept based on a graphic novel from Platinum Studios.  The two, of course, just completed work together on Iron Man 2 which should hit theaters just before they start production on this.

The story centers on 1800’s Arizona when cowboys and Indians fought in the traditional Old West.  Then a spaceship lands and aliens emerged with advanced weaponry.  You guessed it, they must work together to save humanity.  With Favreau directing and RDJ attached, this should be significantly better than Wild Wild West.

Downey became involved last fall when Iron Man co-screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby were working on the adaptation.  Now Transformers and Star Trek writers Alex Kurtman and Robert Orci are working on the latest draft with “Lost” producer Damon Lindelof.  The project has been through seven different writing teams, which seems excessive for a movie mashing together westerns and science fiction.

In 1997, Universal and DreamWorks apparently bought the idea based on a one sheet where a cowboy was being chased by a spaceship (similar to the graphic novel cover pictured right).

In case you’re interested in the progression, Variety has a graphical timeline illustrating the steps in development.