Jimmy Hayward, whose previous work includes directing Horton Hears a Who, has been tapped to head up the live-action production of Jonah Hex, according to Hollywood Reporter. Hayward replaces directing duo Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who opted to part ways from the film in November due to ‘creative differences’. This will be Hayward’s first turn as a live-action director, as his prior movie work has been as an animator for a number of Pixar films and the Canadian television series Reboot.

Jonah Hex will be a Western film based on the DC Comics character by the same name and starring Josh Brolin. In the DC series, Hex (created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga) is an anti-hero, a disfigured gun-for-hire whose gruff talk and somewhat-secretive past keeps him fighting to save his hide.

Warner Brothers is hoping to start production on Jonah Hex this spring.