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During 2008, Transformers writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci took over the script, along with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof. In August 2009 the script was turned in. Kurtzman mentioned during a Screenwriting Expo that their screenplay deviates from the graphic novel immensely. “We went away from it,” he said. “We took the elements we all loved about it and took our own story.” Jon Favreau was one of the directors that gave it a read and in September 2009 it was announced that he had officially signed on to direct the film.

The story begins with a stranger (Daniel Craig) waking up in the middle of nowhere. He has no idea who he is, why he’s wounded and why he has a weird mystical bracelet on his arm. Making his way to the town of Absolution, a wanted poster confirms his identity as Jake Lonergan. Questioned by the equally mysterious Ella (Olivia Wilde) about his memory and his bracelet, Lonergan is eventually arrested by sheriff John Taggart (Keith Carradine) and is soon ready to be transported to Santa Fe for trial. Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) suddenly appears, wanting to question Lonergan about his stolen gold. However, before being taken to court, Absolution is attacked by strange shiny objects from the sky that kidnap some of the townsfolk, including Woodrow’s son Percy (Paul Dano). Now Woodrow and Lonergan must band together to save the people of Absolution.

Shooting began in June 2010. Favreau immediately set about working on a ten minute sequence to show-off at the San Diego Comic Con, which was taking place the following month. Speaking to Empire magazine, he said, “From the minute I was hired, the first meeting I had with the studios, the first thing I said was, ‘I have to have this sequence ready to show.’ It was very very tough on the crew – we shot six day weeks and began with a very ambitious action sequence that usually you would work your way up to.” Showcasing a sequence from the opening of the film, it included the attack on Absolution and received an incredibly positive reaction. “I felt it was important to plant our flag early, to show this isn’t a comedy or a tongue-in-cheek pastiche of the western genre,” said Favreau. “The title might lead people to believe that it’s a bit lighter than what we’re actually doing. And by showing them ten minutes of the film in a finished state, now people know what to expect.”

The first poster and trailer appeared in November 2010. The poster featured Daniel Craig as Jake Lonergan with his back turned and his face mostly obscured in shadow. His left arm featured an alien bracelet weapon on his wrist. His right hand held a shotgun. It was a very gutsy poster that appeared to be going down the Unforgiven route (that film launched with a powerful teaser poster of Clint Eastwood with his back to the camera while holding a gun). While it did raise an air of mystery (what’s the sparkly thing on his wrist?) the main difference was that Daniel Craig is no Clint Eastwood.

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