Tommy Lee Jones to Write, Direct WB’s Remake of John Wayne Movie ‘The Cowboys’

Donald De Line will produce the movie, which is expected to serve as the filmmaker’s follow-up to “The Homesman”

After making his directorial debut with “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,” Tommy Lee Jones is heading back to the desert, as he has signed on to write and direct  a remake of John Wayne’s 1972 movie “The Cowboys” for Warner Bros., an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.

Warner Bros. is on board to develop the film, which will be produced by Donald De Line (“Pain & Gain”). Warner Bros. exec Lynn Harris will oversee the project for the studio.

The original “Cowboys,” which starred Wayne and Bruce Dern, followed a rancher whose cattle drivers abandon his herd to look for gold, prompting him to train a group of boys for the job so he can avoid financial ruin.

There’s no deal in place for Jones to star, though it’s worth noting that the director did cast himself in “Three Burials” and his upcoming film “The Homesman.”

Jones is coming off a busy 2012 in which he starred in Steven Spielberg‘s “Lincoln,” “Men in Black 3,” “Hope Springs” and the indie movie “Emperor.” He’ll soon be seen alongside Robert De Niro in “The Family,” which Relativity Media opens Sept. 13. “The Homesman” also stars Jones’ fellow Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Hilary Swank. The filmmaker is represented by CAA.

The news was first reported by Variety.

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