Robert Downey Jr. is officially one of Hollywood's hottest commodities after the huge success of Iron Man this summer and it looks like studios are no longer skittish about placing their big-budget films on the shoulders of the star who was once considered a liability. RDJ will star in the film adaptation of the graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens, which has been in the works for nearly 10 years. The script that finally set the wheels in motion came from the writers of Iron Man and Children of Men, which is a good sign.

The Hollywood Reporter has the description of the plot:

The story centers on an Old West battle between the Apache and Western settlers, including a former Union Army gunslinger named Zeke Jackson (Downey), that is interrupted by a spaceship crashing into the prairie near Silver City, Ariz. The story draws a parallel between the American imperialist drive to conquer the "savage" Indians with its advanced technology and the aliens' assault on Earthlings, who must join together to survive the invaders' attack.

DreamWorks has tentatively set a release date for 2010.

Are you familiar with this graphic novel? Are you excited to see Downey Jr. back at the top of his game?

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