The 2011 movie Jon Favreau wished audiences had hated rather than ignored
Jon Favreau says the muted response to his 2011 film *Cowboys & Aliens* disappointed him more than outright dislike would have. The film’s poor reception mattered to him because he believed it represented a high point in his filmmaking and hoped viewers would engage with its ideas.
The science-fiction western starred Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, alongside Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano and Olivia Wilde. Released in a summer that also saw *Thor* and *Captain America: The First Avenger*, it failed to make a strong impression with audiences; Favreau said people did not react passionately or recognise what he saw in the film.
In short
- Favreau was more troubled by indifference than hatred.
- He considered the film a high point in his craft.
- The science-fiction western featured Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.
Explained simply
Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 film that combines two familiar genres: the western, set in the American frontier, and science fiction, involving visitors from beyond Earth. It stars Daniel Craig as a man who arrives in a frontier town with no memory, and Harrison Ford as a powerful local rancher.
The film was directed by Jon Favreau, who had also made Iron Man, and brought together a large cast including Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano. It came out during a summer when superhero films such as Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger were drawing attention.
The film’s reception matters to Favreau because he regarded it as a high point in his work and hoped audiences would connect with its ideas. Its lack of a strong response left him feeling that viewers had neither embraced nor clearly rejected what he had made.