Brolin has already dismantled the project, partly because he believed that Jimmy Hayward, the director, lacked sufficient experience. The actor stated to Variety last year that the film “was not successful monetarily or creatively.”
“Well, everyone is aware of my feelings regarding ‘Jonah Hex.’ The main issue with “Jonah Hex,” though, is how quickly employment decisions are made. I still keep in touch with Jeff Robinov, who ran Warner Bros. at the time and told me, “Look, we have to can this thing if you don’t get a director in the next two weeks.” And then you meet Jimmy Hayward, a really knowledgeable person, and I recall that something didn’t feel quite right,” he remarked.
I was thrilled to see him excited, but he lacked the necessary expertise and didn’t approach the situation the way I would have liked to see someone approach it: by running home at the end of the day to watch [Martin] Scorsese films and other inspirational films. Instead, he would be out having fun,” he remarked of Hayward.
When the guys reconciled, Brolin claims that Hayward recently expressed regret for his part in the movie’s breakdown. According to Brolin, Hayward has undergone reconstructive surgery on his face as a result of his battle with a specific type of bone cancer.
