After a hellish pre-production process the James Mangold wester 3:10 to Yuma has finally found a home and a final cast.

The project is a remake of a 1957 Glenn Ford movie, which was itself based on a story by the much adapted Elmore Leonard. The 57 version follows a rancher named Dan Evans who is persuaded to escort a recently captured outlaw leader to the nearest train station where he'll be sent to Yuma for trial. The pair end up holed up in an old hotel and under siege. It actually sounds a lot like a cowboy version of 16 Blocks.

Mangold's new version has landed at Lionsgate after being dumped by Columbia Pictures. At one point Eric Bana and Tom Cruise were rumored to be in the running to star, but now Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are attached. Joining them is the geek-loved actor Alan Tudyk, who some might remember from Serenity but more probably remember as the pirate in Dodgeball.

I like the idea of Russell Crowe in a heavy-hitting, siege-western. Except for the great Costner movie Open Range a few years ago, the cowboy genre has been basically dead for awhile. If Costner couldn't bring it back, maybe Crowe can.