Pitt and Reynolds in for Gunsmoke

Brad Pitt and Ryan Reynolds have emerged as favourites to play Matt Dillon - that's Marshall Matt Dillon, fictional lawman - not Kevin's older brother.

The LA Times reports that the two actors are leading the pack to land the role of the Dodge City peacekeeper in an adaptation of the classic TV series Gunsmoke , which ran from 1955-1975.

Pitt will of course be the favourite, having previously showed his ability to tackle the wild west in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford in 2007.

However, Reynolds is also said to be interested, and with upcoming roles in The Green Lantern and Deadpool , he's like, so hot right now.

The adaptation is still in its early stages, but LA Times reports that the studio is said to have liked the first draft of the Gunsmoke script written by Gregory Poirier, who worked on National Treasure: Book of Secrets .

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