Mangold shot first.

The West ain’t as wild as it used to be, but all it takes is a couple of guns, a few pretty girls, and a heavy dose of hell bent vendetta to change all that. Oh, and a little directorial oversight from Wild West film pro James Mangold couldn’t hurt either.

Mangold is attached to direct The Gunslinger, a contemporary re-imagining of the western genre set in the present day. The film, penned by Underworld 4 writer John Hlavin, will follow a former Texas ranger on a blood-soaked journey to avenge his brother’s murder. No word on whether the hero will ride off into the sunset at any point.

Mangold’s last western excursion, the 2007 remake of genre classic 3:10 to Yuma, was a critical and commercial hit. Whether the Knight and Day director can parlay that success into another win is yet to be seen, but as long as he keeps Tom Cruise far the hell away everything should be alright. (THR)