What do Jonah Hex and George W. Bush Have in Common?
Update: Variety is now confirming that Josh Brolin is in talks for Jonah Hex.
Just yesterday we reported that several films are gearing up for production starts between spring and summer of 2009. One of those films is Warner Bros.’s adaptation of Jonah Hex, DC Comics’ resident western gunslinger. Though actor Thomas Jane put himself through make-up testing to prove himself right for the role, it looks like the studio has its eye on a different actor — someone who’s no stranger to the Country.
Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere reports that "the deal is sealed for Josh Brolin to star in Jonah Hex." The film will be directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank, Game). Although representatives from the Brolin camp say that the actor isn’t attached, Wells is confident that the actor is locked in.
"A voice is telling me to consider the word of a friend who tells me the deal was locked down last night," Wells says.
According to Wells, the movie will be "some kind of sci-fi western with CG up the wazoo. There’s nothing sci-fi-ish about the Hex comic book that’s explained on the Wikipedia page, but there’s always the creative option."
Fans of the character will remember several instances where the mangled bounty hunter takes a turn for the high concept. In Booster Gold #3, the titular time traveler visits Hex in the 1800s, the two buddying up in a fit of alcoholic burping. Hex also appeared on the animated Justice League Unlimited in another time traveling escapade, "The Once and Future Thing, Part 1." The list goes on.
Wells describes the film’s plot as follows:
"Hex is a middle-aged bounty hunter and gunslinger (born in 1838, dies in 1904) with a heavily scarred face whose quest in the film is tracking down a voodoo practitioner."
While Thomas Jane would’ve been a solid choice for the role, the move to bring in Brolin shows that WB is taking its comic properties very seriously. Brolin’s No Country for Old Men won several Academy Awards last year, and the actor’s upcoming turn as President George W. Bush in W. is sure to turn many heads. Jonah Hex would be yet another notch in Brolin’s belt as the actor continues his recent upswing. In addition to Country and W., Brolin starred in Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, American Gangster and the upcoming political drama Milk. In a very short period of time, Brolin’s managed to cross the line from one-time Goonie into a mainstream movie star… although, of course, no one will ever forget Brand Walsh pumping iron to Cyndi Lauper’s "Good Enough."
What do you think of Brolin as Jonah Hex? Let us know!
Well, you may recall there was a series entitled, "Hex" in which Jonah Hex was transported into an Apocalytic future. The series mixed old fashion gunslinging with "Mad Max." There was even an issue in which Hex crossed paths with a future Batman.
They both like to shoot first and interrogate the corpses?
According to Wells, the movie will be "some kind of sci-fi western with CG up the wazoo. There's nothing sci-fi-ish about the Hex comic book that's explained on the Wikipedia page, but there's always the creative option."Well, there was the "Two Gun Mojo" and that other Very Popular but Totally Wrong story by Lansdale and Truman. And then there was Hex, about which the less remembered (much less said) the better.
I'm sorry but Thomas Jane would not have been a solid choice for the role at all. The man tries to act tough in films… but he can't do right at all."the move to bring in Brolin shows that WB is taking its comic properties very seriously."Got that right. Brolin is a far better choice.
Yea they tried putting Hex in the future once. It was not a great idea. I did have to admit to kind of enjoying it but I was pretty young. If they are doing Jonah Hex they should have Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman on speed dial. No one has touched the work they did on Hex and a lot of good people have been on that book off and on over the years.