Branding 'Iron' "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau frets that the planned plot for the sequel will be preempted by this summer's Will Smith movie "Hancock." "From what I've seen, it seems there is a lot of imagery that seems to be shared," Favreau said about the "demon in a bottle" story line. "The idea of the hero whose biggest enemy is himself, and him fighting through his demons, you want to come at the audience with something fresh." Favreau, however, might not have any say in Tony Stark's future; he hasn't been signed yet to "Iron Man 2," reportedly because Marvel is balking at Favreau's request for a raise -- figuring a sequel would be a smash with or without him.

The final reel Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to star as a Civil War sharpshooter in "Cowboys and Aliens," an entry in the lightly used sci-fi Western genre. ... Judd Apatow's next film has a title -- "Funny People" -- and a partial cast: Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill, who join previously announced Eric Bana. ... Sam Raimi will direct "The Given Day," based on a novel by Dennis Lehane ("Mystic River," "Gone Baby Gone"). ... The YouTube short "Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse," written by the "Superbad" team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, will become a feature film starring Rogen and Jay Baruchel. ... Hugh Grant falls for Zhang Ziyi ("Memoirs of a Geisha") in "Lost for Words," a romantic comedy of misunderstanding. ... Eva Mendes is in negotiations to star opposite Nicolas Cage in Werner Herzog's "reimagining" of "Bad Lieutenant."

CYNTHIA DICKISON