(Cover) - EN Movies - Jon Favreau did his best to ensure Cowboys & Aliens didn't "run out of gas".

The 44-year-old US actor-and-director helmed the soon-to-be-released sci-fi thriller, which tells the story of a spaceship landing to attack America's Wild West region in 1873.

Much has been made of the unique blending of the Western genre with futuristic cinema, and Jon worked hard to ensure spoof elements were avoided.

"If you just play it as a joke for the whole movie you're in trouble," he told MTV. "You run out of gas."

Jon sought advice from some of the world's most talented moviemakers when it came to developing the alien characters. He says receiving Mexican director Guillermo del Toro's seal of approval "felt very good".

"Guillermo del Toro, he's masterful," gushed Jon. "[He told me], You gotta get the silhouette, the colour, then the detail.' He's very picky."

Jon was also inspired by Hollywood icon Steven Spielberg. He wanted to embrace the methods Steven had used for his classics such as 1975 movie Jaws, rather than rely heavily on CGI, so lighting and animatronics were employed.

"The alien movies I like best are the ones I grew up with, almost verging on horror... all the Spielberg stuff," he smiled. (C) Cover Media