Robert Downey, Jr. will not be reunited with his Iron Man director, John Favreau for the Dreamworks/Universal sci-fi flick Cowboys & Aliens. Sources involved with the film say that Downey Jr. had to drop out due to a possible scheduling conflict with the sequel to Sherlock Holmes. The sequel to Sherlock Homes has yet to be green-lit by Warner Brothers, but is being fast-tracked based on the success of the first film (so far, Sherlock Homes worldwide gross is almost $300 million). Warner Brothers commissioned a script script by Kieran and Michele Mulroney back in September and is now actively trying to lock down the cast for a June start date, at the exact time when Cowboys & Aliens is set to begin principal photography.
The film, based on the 2006 Platinum Studios graphic novel centers on Zeke Jackson, a cowboy in the wild west who teams up with his Apache enemies to fight aliens who land in Arizona in the mid-19th century, intent on enslaving humanity.
Reports are that Favreau will still go ahead with the project and is seeking a new leading man. Cowboys & Aliens is slated to start filming in June and has a summer 2011 release date.