Claim: Olivia Wilde is a movie actress.

Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 American science fiction Western film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig , Harrison Ford , and Olivia Wilde . The film is based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg . The plot revolves around an amnesiac outlaw -LRB- Craig -RRB- , a wealthy cattleman -LRB- Ford -RRB- , and a mysterious traveler -LRB- Wilde -RRB- who must ally to save a group of townspeople abducted by aliens . The screenplay was written by Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman , Damon Lindelof , Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby , based on a screen story by the latter two along with Steve Oedekerk . The film was produced by Brian Grazer , Ron Howard , Kurtzman , Orci and Rosenberg , with Steven Spielberg and Favreau serving as executive producers .   The project began development in April 1997 , when Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures bought film rights to a concept pitched by Rosenberg , former president at Malibu Comics , which he described as a graphic novel in development . After the graphic novel was published in 2006 , development on the film was begun again , and Favreau signed on as director in September 2009 . On a budget of $ 163 million , filming for Cowboys & Aliens began in June 2010 , in New Mexico and California . Despite studio pressure to release the film in 3-D , Favreau chose to film traditionally and in anamorphic format -LRB- widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film -RRB- to further a `` classic movie feel '' . Measures were taken to maintain a serious Western element despite the film 's `` inherently comic '' title and premise . The film 's aliens were designed to be `` cool and captivating '' , with some details , such as a fungus that grows on their wounds , created to depict the creatures as frontiersmen facing adversity in an unfamiliar place .   Cowboys & Aliens premiered at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con and was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on , 2011 . The film was considered to be a financial disappointment , taking $ 174.8 million in box office receipts on a $ 163 million budget . Cowboys & Aliens received mixed reviews , with critics generally praising its acting and production but criticizing its straight , non-ironic tone .