Robert Downey Jr. Picking Up Where Steve McQueen Left Off

Actor's production company acquires notes for Yucatan, an adventure film McQueen envisioned by never made

By Natalie Finn Oct 08, 2010 12:05 AMTags
Steve McQueen, Robert Downey Jr.John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images; Evan Agostini/PictureGroup via AP Images

The King of Cool is getting a lift from the King of Comebacks.

Robert Downey Jr.'s production company has acquired the treatment for the Steve McQueen passion project Yucatan, an adventure film McQueen drafted the concept for in the late 1960s but which never got made.

So, Warner Bros. has hired Sherlock Holmes scribe Anthony Peckham to write the script and Team Downey (actually his company's name) is definitely onboard to produce.

But, more importantly, is Downey going to play the renegade treasure-hunter envisioned by McQueen years ago?

The film is definitely being written with Downey in mind for the starring role, but his rep could not immediately confirm that the in-demand actor will be in front of the camera for this one.

Downey has no fewer than three films coming up, including the Sherlock Holmes sequel and the all-star superhero flick The Avengers, in which he'll suit up as Iron Man.

Yucatan will be the first movie from the Team Downey shingle, which the actor started with his wife, Susan.