New Director Found For Jonah Hex

Jimmy Hayward has signed on to direct Jonah Hex, replacing Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank) who left the project in November. The flick, a western based on the DC Comics character, will be Hayward’s live-action directorial debut. He previously helmed Horton Hears a Who!.

The character of Hex, known for having the right side of his face disfigured and wearing a Confederate army uniform, was a rough-and-tumble gunslinger and part-time bounty hunter whose adventures always ended in blood.

One incarnation of his comic book series saw the Western genre combined with supernatural elements, and it’s this aspect that was featured in Neveldine and Taylor’s script.

The studio will likely keep the script, though it’s expected that Hayward will put his stamp on it. Josh Brolin is still attached to star. The studio hopes to put the movie into production in March or April.

Hayward is the latest filmmaker from an animation background who is venturing into live-action genre flicks. John Stevenson, a former story board artist for films like Shrek 2 and Madagascar who helmed Kung Fu Panda, is attached to direct We3, an adaptation of the Vertigo mini-series. Stevenson has also been linked to He-Man.