1875. New Mexico Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveller Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents – townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors – all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ is out now in the US, and August 17th in the UK. Check out Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Damon Lindelof had to say about the film, the three were on-board as with producers, with Lindelof also apart of the screenwriting team.

As directors yourselves, what are your thoughts on Jon Favreau and how he approaches filmmaking?

Steven Spielberg: I think what grounds Jon is that he comes at everything based on behavioural approaches. How would these characters behave, how could I make this more authentic? The more the genre imposes the limitations on the filmmaker, Jon is certainly able to take those limitations and turn them into tremendous advantages – based on his complete knowledge of acting, directing actors, writing great parts for himself (laughs). Jon is really like those old fashioned directors who came out of old Hollywood, he really understands theatre, understands drama, understands comedy, and then he combines them in an eclectic way. So every time he makes a movie you have to say, “Wait a second! Is that the same Jon Favreau who directed that film?”

Ron Howard: Jon Favreau is just quickly proving to be this filmmaker who has incredible range. In talking to him, he’s incredibly smart, but he loves to laugh, he loves to be entertained, and he gets what’s entertaining. As bright as he is, he’s not looking down on anything. If it entertains, if it rocks, if it’s cool, if it comes from some place of humanity and emotion – which he sort of builds from, then he’s into it, he’s excited about it. He’s not there trying to figure out what the audience wants, he’s there knowing what he wants.

How about you Damon, as one of the screenwriters and producers?

Damon Lindelof: One of the challenges of ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ was trying to figure out who was going to direct this movie, who was going to have the right sensibility? There were multiple ways to approach it, but I think where everyone sort of agreed was that this needs to be a Western that has Aliens in it, versus a Sci-Fi movie that has Cowboys in it. The tone of the movie is everything, so you want a movie that takes itself very seriously in terms of the stakes are very real, but it also has to have the ability of a certain sense of humour, without winking at the audience and breaking the reality. We started talking about what are movies demonstrate that kind of tone? ‘Iron Man’ was at the very top of everyone’s list. This was not only a movie that was highly successful, but it also sort of re-branded Robert Downey Jnr as a major movie star, and it was also fun to watch, and at the same time it was a comic book movie without feeling too comicbooky. Jon Favreau was at the top of a very short list. We sent him the script and he responded to it. The challenge of making a Western for him was sort of first and foremost. He just really got it in everyway a director should really get it.

What are your thought on this genre mash-up of Sci-Fi and Western, and how the film approaches that?

Ron Howard: I always felt like the Western genre could be tweaked and might allow for this sort of blending of genres, and that it would yield some really cool, really fresh action. The way the script evolved, and the way the movie unfolded under Jon’s direction, it’s everything I hoped for and beyond. The coolest version of the west, meeting a really exciting, intense and entertaining collision of some bad-ass Aliens. It’s fun, it’s not tongue in cheek, it’s a really cool adventure story.

Steven Spielberg: I think there’s a lot of young kids out there who have a tremendous fascination for blending genres. The graphic novel that this movie is based on captured all of our imaginations. The thing that I kept wondering was why hadn’t anyone done this before (laughs)?

What Jon and everyone was doing with the concept was that they were keeping it authentic, they were making it all real from the stand-point of the characters. If the Aliens never came down in this story, it’s a tremendous, wonderful story of conflicted characters, in a kind of range-war that starts to bubble up to the surface in the very first act of ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ If it’s just Cowboys, it’s a pretty darn good Cowboy story. If it’s just Aliens, it’s a pretty great Alien story into itself. But then when you combine the two, it’s a wonderful, wonderful combination.

Empire have got their mitts on these three UK character posters for Jon Favreau’s hotly anticipated sci-fi western ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ The film features an all-star cast in Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine and Paul Dano. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK. Count me in!

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

What was it like preparing for this role?

Daniel Craig: I really just watched as many Westerns as I could. I watched a lot of John Wayne ones, but my personal favourite ones are the 70’s ones, things like ’Little Big Man’ – the so called dirty Westerns, ones that are a little bit more reality based. But obviously ‘Butch and the Sundance Kid’ is a big favourite of mine. Director Jon Favreau and I had these great chats, it helped me a great deal because obviously I have to be an American in the film – so the less I said the better (laughs). I tried to let everyone else do the talking and I do the action, really that’s how I base my character, very much on the silence of a Clint Eastwood ‘man with no name.’

Working alongside Harrison Ford, what was that experience like?

Daniel Ford: He’s a kind of hero of mine, Jon said in an interview that he’s our generations John Wayne. For me it’s even more than that really, you think of ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Blade Runner,‘ movies that were seminal in my movie life, growing up with movies. So I was nervous as hell when I started working with him, he’s nearly nice so it’s ok (laughs). Harrison is an incredibly generous and funny man who’s also an incredibly generous and funny actor. Just getting the chance to work with him has been a joy – getting to know him has been a joy as well.

Jake and Dolarhyde have a great dynamic.

Daniel Craig: Yeah, there’s a mining town that’s down on its luck, Dolarhyde is ruling it with an iron fist. He’s sort of the dictator of this small town, he’s tougher than he probably should be. But he’s got a heart of gold, Jake sort of pushes him….in spite of them being tough guys, they both come up against each other and clash, through this common purpose they find this sort of softer side in each other, they become firm friends by the end of the movie.

Being on location filming, how was that in building a rapport with the cast and crew?

Daniel Craig: We were all stuck out in this beautiful place, Santa Fe, on location in this amazing place. As a unit, the crew, the actors, we’d all get together – I haven’t done that for a long time. I’d hold parties at my house just to get people to sort of bond, the crew would come along, the actors would come along, Olivia Wilde would come along, she was a major instigator of that basically. She would always go, “have another party!” So we’d have margarita nights on a Friday or Saturday night after work, Harrison would come over, Sam would get the music going. We all really got on – I’m not just saying that for this interview (laughs). We really did.

I got that feeling watching the film, it felt like a true ensemble piece.

Daniel Craig: All the characters are proper and real. Sam Rockwell is obviously funny without even trying. Harrison Ford, who’s playing a ‘bad guy’ for one of the first times really, playing a cowboy – he’s done that before but he hasn’t done that in a long time, he was kind of a cowboy in Star Wars. Olivia who’s beautiful and great. With me, I’m wearing chaps, some people would pay good money for that (laughs).

What drew you into playing this role?

Daniel Craig: I was lucky enough to have been sent the script and read the title. I thought obviously this is going to be a very funny movie, and actually when I read it I was pleasantly surprised that it was a movie that was funny but was also out to be as authentic a Western as it could. I’ve always harboured a secret desire to play a cowboy, it fitted nicely.

It was so important for all of us, all of the filmmakers involved, everyone involved, we wanted to make first and foremost a good Western. And we wanted the audience to be sucked in to this idea that they are watching a good Western. Otherwise it would have felt like we were in a certain not existent world. So the film is set in 1875, it had to feel like it was set in 1875.

What elements of the film did find exciting and challenging?

Daniel Craig: Riding horses everyday was probably one of the most exciting things I’ve done on a movie set. I love horses, I love being around them, I love being out in the open. Challenge wise, I’m from England so I’m not the most natural choice to be a cowboy, I wanted to make him as authentic as possible. Wearing chaps, a hat and a gun really helps (laughs).

Paramount Pictures have released these two character profiles featuring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig discussing their parts in Jon Favreau’s hotly anticipated sci-fi western ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ The cast for the film is stacked with talent in Craig, Olivia Wilde, Ford, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine and Paul Dano. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK. You can count me in!

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

1875. New Mexico Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveller Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents – townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors – all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK.

For the most part, both Westerns and Sci-Fi have existed quite separately for some time now, what is it about the genre mash-up that makes it fresh for you?

Olivia Wilde: What they have in common, Westerns and Sci-Fi, it’s the idea of the unknown, battling the unknown. People who are sort of pioneers. Westerns are often settlers who have gone out west, that are very brave people for wondering out into this unknown territory – that’s the same with Sci-Fi too, people exploring and coming up against unknown adversaries, that‘s what binds them together. For me it makes sense they come together, but it has to be done with the right technique. I think that is why it was important to have Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer on board, they REALLY know film, they really know how to bring these separate genres to their best quality – and also to meld them together. Jon Favreau is a master of tone, he knows how to make it consistent, and also to keep it grounded it reality.

Initially what was it about this film that enticed you?

Olivia Wilde: I was drawn in by the people involved and the originality of the material. I loved that it was going to be such a challenge, it was such an interesting and new idea. The originality of the material really drew me in, this is a big, giant, event film. I thought “wow, they’re coming up with this new idea, mashing together two genres no-one had considered……mashable before.” I thought it was a really good idea. I loved the way it was being approached, with a real reverence to the Western genre. It’s sort of a mix between ‘Unforgiven’ and ‘Close Encounters,’ that really drew me in, that it was a serious take on this idea, with a lot of comedy of course, Jon Favreau is directing, he’s always got a really good whit to the dialogue.

How does you character Ella fit into the story?

Olivia Wilde: Ella is the female member of this Cowboy posse, riding out to find their people who have been snatched up by mysterious beings – they think they’re demons. She has sort of slinked into town unnoticed, she’s very mysterious, she’s wearing a gun. She’s not a Cowgirl, a ranch-handler, a prostitute, she’s something else. She’s very intrigued by Daniel Craig’s blaster that he is wearing, this mysterious bracelet thing. She needs something from him, so we immediately wonder if she has dark intentions, whether she means to manipulate him for good, or for evil. It’s an intriguing character because you don’t actually figure out her big secret until the end of the movie. She’s just as ballsy as the boys, she’s very important in their journey, she becomes their magic weapon, she brings together the two groups in Cowboys and Indians, she becomes the peacemaker, allows them to join forces to face a common enemy.

That storyline of people who wouldn’t generally be working together, having to come together, it gives it such a human element.

Olivia Wilde: Yes! It’s the lesson we need to learn, humanity needs to learn that. This film is about occupying foreign lands, killing the people there, and using them and manipulating them. That’s still happening today, it’s certainly happened in our history. It’s something we need to learn from. I hope people come out of the movie realising that we have to work together to make the world a better place, in so many ways.

It kind of shows the ridiculousness of the differences between the Cowboys and the Indians. They find a common bond in their love for their families. That makes them realise they’re all human, which is something we all need to realise today.

How was it working with Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, the whole ensemble in fact, it’s quite an esteemed cast put together?

Olivia Wilde: Unbelievable, I couldn’t believe I was sitting anywhere near them. I learnt a lot of Harrison and Daniel, also from Jon Favreau as well, I’m an aspiring director so watching him very closely was really interesting for me. Watching people like Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano, who took smaller characters and made such meals out of them – I think Rockwell’s is my favourite character in the movie. I just felt very lucky to sit with all of these people who have loved Westerns too, John Wayne’s grandson is in the movie, Brendon Wayne, we felt that was a good omen for the project (laughs). So many great character actors, Walt Goggins, an extraordinary, funny performance.

I remember our first table read, we were sitting in the old Western town that we ended up blowing up, I looked around the table and I thought, “wow, this is major, this is special.” Everybody was very committed, they embraced the language, they embraced the history, and the tone – and that’s why I think it’s ultimately successful.

What was your favourite and most challenging part about shooting?

Olivia Wilde: Probably riding, riding with the rest of the Cowboys across the desert. It’s challenging, we were really galloping, with guns on our hips. The whole process was a challenge, you’re working with cameras, Horses don’t like cameras (laughs). You have to work around that. It was all so thrilling, the stunts were really challenging but really thrilling too, there was not a dull day on this project.

How was the training with the Horses?

Olivia Wilde: The day I was cast I was like, “when do I get on a Horse?” It was about three months before we started shooting and I drove out into the middle of nowhere, in California, and I started riding hours everyday, riding Western, I’d grew up riding English, but I’d never ridden Western. It was a learning process for me, I threw myself into it, I wanted to be really confident on the Horse – because this is a woman who has been riding her entire life, there’s an effortless to it that I really wanted to capture. When you watch old Westerns you can tell John Wayne has been riding a Horse since he was four years old, he hardly has to move, he’s not holding onto the horn desperately (laughs). I wanted it to be realistic, I wanted to tell Jon, “let me do all of my own stunts.”

I remember one amazing day when Daniel and I were galloping across this field, we were going as fast as we possibly could, it was this moment that I realised the enormity of the entire experience and how blessed we were – and how cool it was (laughs). That shot is in the movie and I love it! You can tell we’re really flying across the field.

Paramount Pictures have liberated this debut clip from Jon Favreau’s hotly anticipated sci-fi western ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ The cast for the film is stacked with talent in Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine and Paul Dano. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK. You can count me in.

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

In a recent chinwag with Totalfilm, Olivia Wilde spoke on a range of subjects pertaining to her role, Ella, in the upcoming sci-fi western ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ Talking about undertaking the action side of her role Wilde revealed: “The stunt co-ordinator said, ‘I’ve never pulled an actor off a moving horse. Do you want to do it?’ Stunt guys always get to know me very quickly because I love stunts and they said, ‘If anyone can do it, Olivia can…’”

Olivia Wilde also spoke on working with Daniel Craig after missing out on ‘Casino Royale’:  “I screen-tested for that and I wanted it so badly. “But now I’m happy it didn’t work out because we wouldn’t have been able to do this, and I think he agreed that this was a better pairing for us. Daniel Craig taught me a lot. He taught me about stillness and silence… he does very little and it’s very impressive.”

Opening up about her characters role in the film Olivia Wilde declared: “She’s not just the love interest. She’s not simply sultry. She has a lot in common with Jake and she’s watching him very closely, because any clues he can give her as to where he’s been will help her on her journey. She’s been hiding in the town. She wants to fade into the shadows and only comes out when Jake arrives.”

‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK. The film follows a stranger (Daniel Craig) who has no memory of his past as stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Featuring a slew of new action packed footage, Paramount Pictures have cast loose this new theatrical trailer for Jon Favreau’s ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ The cast for the film is stacked with talent in Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine and Paul Dano. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK – you can count me in.

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Paramount Pictures have unveiled this new poster featuring Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde and Harrison Ford for Jon Favreau’s sci-fi western ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ The cast is stacked with talent in Craig, Wilde, Ford, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine and Paul Dano. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK – you can count me in!

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

iTunes Movie Trailers have liberated this new behind-the-scenes featurette for Jon Favreau’s ‘Cowboys & Aliens,’ featuring a bunch of new footage from the film and interviews. The cast is stacked with talent in Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine and Paul Dano. ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ will be hitting cinemas July 29th 2011 in the US, and August 12th in the UK – you can count me in.

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.