We're not quite sure what all the fuss is about, folks. A film about a horribly disfigured, brutal, ex-Confederate, bounty-hunting anti-hero of the outlaw west seems to us like a pretty natural follow-up to a film about a goofy elephant contracted to protect a microscopic kingdom of beings known as "Whos." Right?
Well, you may not agree with us -- but apparently Warner Bros. does. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news today that "Horton Hears A Who!" director Jimmy Hayward has been hired to direct the big-screen adaptation of DC Comics' "Jonah Hex." Best known for his work as an animator on such films and TV shows as "ReBoot," "Finding Nemo," "Robots," "Toy Story" and several other animated features, the choice of Hayward will no doubt cause grumbling among hardcore "Hex" fans, but should be music to Josh Brolin's (who may or may not be attached to star) ears after his recent comments about what he wants out of a "Jonah Hex" feature film.
(And be sure to check out our exclusive video interview with Josh Brolin about "Jonah Hex" and Jimmy Hayward!)
Despite being a relatively unknown character to casual comic book readers, "Jonah Hex" has been creating quite a bit of a stir lately in Hollywood. In addition to Brolin's "will he or won't he?" stance on if he'll take the lead role, co-directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor recently dropped out of the production, citing "creative differences." Meanwhile, "Punisher: War Zone" director Lexi Alexander recently made her case for the then-vacant directing gig, but may have been doomed by the lackluster box office and universally-panned "Punisher" revamp.
According to THR, Warner Bros. hopes to start production on "Jonah Hex" by the spring in the hopes for a 2010 release.
So, Splash Pagers, what do you think of this news? Do you think Hayward might surprise us, or should Warner Bros. have picked a different director? Talk it up in the comments.