Universal is still struggling mightily to figure out what kind of movies they want to make, after suffering flops varying from the big-budget remake (Land of the Lost) to the seemingly surefire comedies (Funny People, Bruno) to the classy stuff for grown-ups (Duplicity, State of Play). The movies suffering most, though, fall in the last category-- last week news broke that the studio had passed on Clint Eastwood's next project, and now Deadline is reporting that they've cancelled the drug drama Cartel, just five weeks before filming was supposed to begin.

Josh Brolin was set to star as a man trying to protect his son from vicious Mexican drug cartels, and Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cite Soleil) was on board to direct. The studio cited a number of reasons for cancelling the shoot, from budget concerns to the physical safety of the cast and crew on location in Mexico, but it's probably not a coincidence that Cartel would have been exactly the kind of serious-minded drama that was a flop when Green Zone tried it a few weeks ago.

I'm a little confused about the production schedule, though, since Brolin is starring this year in True Grit for the Coens, and my impression was that it would be filming soon as well. It's a tough break for Brolin, who of course is still building his star power, but an even worse sign for Universal, a studio that seems to be tripping over its own feet more often than not, simply by greenlighting films with good intentions. Hopefully this is one of the last steps in getting things set right again.