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(FROM THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) — Robert Downey Jr. is close to inking his first deal in the wake of the blockbuster success of Iron Man. The actor is in negotiations to star in Cowboys & Aliens, a sci-fi/Western action movie that DreamWorks and Universal are eyeing as a possible 2010 tentpole release. The graphic novel-based film is about a battle in the Wild West between the Apache and white settlers that's interrupted by the crash of a spaceship. Downey would play a former Civil War sharpshooter named Zeke Jackson. Cowboys & Aliens has been in various stages of development at several studios for the better part of the past decade. It will be produced by a cavalcade of Hollywood players, including Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Steven Spielberg.

Downey is in the midst of a career resurgence now that Iron Man has grossed nearly $550 million worldwide. He'll appear in the comedy Tropic Thunder in August and in the drama The Soloist this fall. However, both of those films were finished before Iron Man debuted. (The Hollywood Reporter)


Posted Jun 16, 2008 | Order Article Reprints