One of the greatest westerns ever made, 1993’s “Tombstone” is arguably as famous for its creation as for its content.
The film’s late screenwriter, Kevin Jarre, was set to direct the film, but was then fired a month into production after things fell behind. “Cobra” helmer George P. Cosmatos then took over as director to get things back on track, while budget cuts also affected the production.
It has long been rumoured that star Kurt Russell himself directed the film with Cosmatos, but whoever you talk to seems to have a different take. One thing is for sure, though: Jarre’s original script is what drew people to the project, and the film we got – no matter the beloved work it has become – is a compromised version of that.
Back in 2023, while out promoting Apple TV’s Monsterverse series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” Russell revealed he “made a promise to somebody that I won’t talk about things publicly”. He added that at the end of the day, he is “really glad that it came out as well as it did”.
Now out promoting that show’s second season, he was asked by THR about how he’s previously said he can’t help but remember the movie that could’ve been. Russell responded: “That’s because of the screenplay. The movie is not as good as the screenplay.”
Then asked if he was ever to make more peace with that in recent years, he said:
“I’ll never make peace with that. It could have been way better. It’s considered one of the great Westerns, right? It could have been considered one of the great movies. It had a great cast, but it had fabulous writing. And for a lot of different reasons, the money got burned through, and the director thing didn’t work out. So we had to go about it differently, and we got what we made. The impact of Tombstone is very strong, and that’s nice. That’s great. But could it have been a lot better? Yes.”
The film depicts the events around the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, in the late 19th century. Russell took on the role of Wyatt Earp opposite Kilmer as Doc Holliday.
Russell is currently starring in the second season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” on Apple TV and will shortly be seen in the neo-Western “The Madison” on the Paramount+ service.
