ROBERT DOWNEY JR CAN QUIT COWBOYS

     Down(ey) Comforter

Robert Downey Jr. will no longer be teaming up with Iron Man director Jon Favreau for the sci-fi western Cowboys and Aliens.  DreamWorks and Favreau are seeking a new star (Bruce Campbell or GTFO) with an eye on a summer of 2011 release.

Originally a serialized graphic novel, “Cowboys & Aliens” focuses on outer-space creatures who land in Arizona circa the mid-19th century intent on enslaving the local population — until a group of cowboys and Apache Indians fight back. (There was a further Iron Man connection to “Cowboys:” writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby wrote an original draft of the script.) [The LA Times]

No news yet on if RDJ dropped out just to free up some valuable cheeseburger-eating time, or if this means the Sherlock Holmes sequel got a greenlight.   On a completely-related note, this isn’t what I meant when I said I wanted to see some Downey slash:

[Downey and Slash pic via agypsyrose]