Following up on Oliver Stone’s W, the smart money is on Josh Brolin keeping the cowboy boots on, this time, to play Jonah Hex. Both Varietyand The Hollywood Reporter are reporting that Brolin is “in talks” to play the Western bounty hunter in a film version written by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. The duo, who also wrote and directed Crank will direct the film.

The character currently appears in his own monthly series written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, with art by a variety of rotating (and acclaimed) artists such as Darwyn Cooke, Jordi Bernet, Tony DeZuniga, and Phil Noto , to name a few.

We contacted Palmiotti for his reaction to the news.

“Well, if it wasn’t enough that we got Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor writing and directing, I can’t think of a better candidate than Josh Brolin playing Jonah Hex,” the writer said. “Josh has the right deadly look in his eye and has already proven dozens of times again and again to be one of the most talented actors out there. This news has got Justin and I very excited on a number of levels. If this is true, this is just plain awesome.”

The film version of Jonah Hex will be produced by Andrew Lazar’s Mad Chance and Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road. Lazar was, at one time, attached to a film version of Palmiotti and Joe Quesada’s Ash.

The film version of Hex is reportedly schedule to reach theaters in 2010.

"Crank" writer-directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor wrote the script and will direct.

On Wednesday, both WB and Brolin’s reps denied that a deal was close, but sources said he’s likely to take the job.

Hex, whose face is partly disfigured, is a gunslinger and bounty hunter. The series was hatched by DC in the early 1970s.

The film is being produced by Andrew Lazar’s Mad Chance and Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road. Lazar’s in production on a "Cats & Dogs" sequel for the studio, and Goldsman, who last produced "Hancock," is developing several films for WB including a prequel to "I Am Legend" that D.B. Weiss is scripting, with Goldsman producing with James Lassiter.

Brolin follows the Oliver Stone-directed "W." with "Milk," the Gus Van Sant-directed drama that casts Brolin as Dan White, the San Francisco pol who gunned down Harvey Milk and George Moscone.

Sounds good to me.

The film version of DC Comics’ Jonah Hex has a director – again.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jimmy Hayward, director of the animated version of Horton Hears a Who! will make his live-action debut with the scarred bounty hunter. Previously, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank) – who had also written the script - were attached to direct the film, but pulled out in November over reported differences with the Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. is looking to start production on the movie by March or April, with Josh Brolin starring in the title role. Neveldine and Taylor’s script – which features supernatural elements along with Jonah Hex’s traditional Western setting.

Previous to Horton, Hayward has worked as an animator on ReBoot, and at Pixar, where he worked on Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo, as well as Fox’s Robots.

Andrew Lazar's Mad Chance and Akiva Goldsman's Weed Road are producing the film.

The current series, written since its 2005 launch by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, reaches issue #39 this week. Since its debut Jonah Hex has told single-issue stories, a rarity in modern comics from a major publisher. The character was created in 1972 by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga.

I just can't wait to see this movie.

I'm confident, the director already directed Woddy, why not Jonah Hex? ;p

"I'm confident, the director already directed Woddy, why not Jonah Hex? ;p"