A 2011 sci-fi action film starring Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde is scheduled to leave Peacock’s content library soon. Despite its fascinating premise, the film couldn’t make its mark on the box office or with its viewers. Still, it’s worth watching for its impressive star cast alone.
Cowboys & Aliens is leaving Peacock soon
Cowboys & Aliens will exit Peacock’s library on Monday, June 1, 2026.
It is based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s 105-page graphic novel of the same name, published by Platinum Studios in 2006. Jon Favreau directed the film. While it retains the novel’s core premise, the story was reworked for the feature film by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, and Steve Oedekerk. Subsequently, other writers worked on the screenplay.
Cowboys & Aliens takes place in a retro-futuristic 1870s New Mexico Territory. It follows Jake Lonergan, an outlaw with amnesia who wakes up in the middle of nowhere with a strange metal bracelet on his wrist. After arriving in the town named Absolution, he finds himself in trouble with the town’s sheriff, who recognizes Jake as an outlaw.
However, when alien spacecraft attack Absolution, everyone in the town, including cowboys, outlaws, and Native Americans, works together to rescue those who have gone missing. Jake’s mysterious bracelet becomes their most powerful weapon in fighting the otherworldly creatures.
The film’s cast features Daniel Craig as Jake, Olivia Wilde as Ella, Harrison Ford as Woodrow, Sam Rockwell as Doc, Adam Beach as Nat, Paul Dano as Percy, Walton Goggins as Hunt, Abigail Spencer as Alice, and Clancy Brown as Meacham, among others.
Cowboys & Aliens was distributed by Universal Pictures in the United States. The film premiered at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con. It later arrived in theaters on July 29, 2011. Upon release, it failed to impress the majority of the audience. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a critics’ approval rating of 44% and a user rating of 43%. Meanwhile, IMDb reports a score of 6 out of 10 based on votes from over 240K users.
On the other hand, the film’s theatrical run was disappointing as well. Reportedly, it cost the studio $163 million to make Cowboys & Aliens. But the film managed to earn just over $174.8 million at the global box office.