Versus: Jon Favreau is in talks to join his Iron Man buddy Robert Downey Jr. on Cowboys and Aliens, as the director of the twelve-years-in-the-works project. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who are apparently now the only screenwriters in Hollywood, will write the latest version of the script — about cowboys and Native Americans in the Old West who suddenly have to deal with extraterrestrial combatants — with Damon Lindelof. Dreamworks and Universal first purchased the concept in 1997, based just on a one-sheet, though we could totally see an exec yelling “green-lit!†before the dude pitching even got to the second syllable in “aliens.†[Variety]
I Love You, Woman: Rashida Jones and Chris Messina will star in the indie romantic-comedy Monogamy, to be directed by Murderball’s Dana Adam Shapiro and scripted by Shapiro with Evan Wiener. No specific twists have been announced in the young couple’s relationship, though the filmmakers did say it’s a “cautionary tale about sex, photography, and fear of marriage.†Does a camera fall on someone’s head? [HR]
3-D Musketeers: Paul W.S. Anderson (Alien vs. Predator, Resident Evil) is planning a new 3-D adaptation of The Three Musketeers. The basic premise and time period will remain the same, but Anderson is looking to add a more contemporary feel. Says the director, “In our film, corsets and feathered hats don’t take center stage. Our version is rich in eye-popping action, romance, and adventure.†And perhaps a predator or two? [Reuters]
Truly Super: As you may have heard, Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones have formed a hard-as-hell supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures. So far, they’ve played mostly secret shows, which have birthed a good deal of YouTube footage, but the band has announced an official U.S. tour, starting October 1 in Texas … and, for now at least, skipping New York. A debut album is rumored for early 2010, at which point, if everything works out, Vulture can adopt Them Crooked Vultures as its official supergroup of choice. [Billboard]
Boardwalk Will Air: Not that it was ever really in doubt, but Boardwalk Empire — the Martin Scorsese–exec-produced drama about the early days of Atlantic City — has been officially picked up by HBO, with eleven episodes slated to run. Steve Buscemi stars as Nucky Thompson, who ran A.C. in the twenties; the show also features Michael Pitt, Michael Shannon, and Michael K. Williams. And somewhere, Michael Imperioli is crying into a pillow. [Variety]
Doc to Musical: Playwright Doug Wright and lyricist Amanda Green have adapted the 1997 cult-classic documentary Hands on a Hard Body into a stage musical. The doc is about an annual showdown in Longview, Texas, in which contestants vying for a new pickup truck have to remain standing with one hand on the truck for as long as they can; the winner in the movie lasts 77 hours. Really, could there be anything more demoralizing than standing with a hand on a truck for 76 hours and not getting to drive that puppy home? [Variety]