Kurt Russell Was Worried About Tombstone’s Box Office, But His Wyatt Earp Movie Ended Up Making Way More Than The Other One

Kurt Russell was worried that Tombstone would get buried at the box office by the more expensive Wyatt Earp, but Tombstone ended up outgrossing its compeтιтor by a pretty huge margin. Since movie development can take years and years, it’s not uncommon for rival Hollywood studios to put two eerily similar films into production at the same time. The phenomenon is called “twin movies,” and it happened with Volcano and Dante’s Peak, Armageddon and Deep Impact, and No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits.

One of the most famous examples is the rivalry between Tombstone and Wyatt Earp, two biopics of the notorious western lawman released six months apart. Although Wyatt Earp seemed to have everything going for it — a bigger budget, a more generous studio, and less behind-the-scenes drama — Tombstone won the battle by a mile. While Russell was worried Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp movie would defeat Tombstone at the box office, Tombstone ultimately did much better (and it stood the test of time better, too).

Kurt Russell Was Worried About Tombstone Competing With Wyatt Earp

Sam Elliott, On The Other Hand, Was Confident About Tombstone’s Chances Of Success

Both Tombstone and Wyatt Earp were in production at the same time. While Russell and co. were shooting Tombstone in Arizona, Costner and co. were shooting Wyatt Earp in New Mexico. Sam Elliott — who gives one of Tombstone’s best performances as Virgil Earp, brother to Russell’s Wyatt — has opened up about Russell’s fears surrounding the western biopic race (via Entertainment Weekly). While Elliott was never worried about the compeтιтion presented by Costner’s movie, he said that Russell spent the entire shoot “angst-ridden” about the impending box office battle between the two projects.

Elliott ᴀssured Russell that, while Costner’s movie had a lot more money behind it, “They haven’t got this f**king script, and they haven’t got this f**king cast.”

Russell was worried that Costner’s biopic would outgross his at the box office. There was no way that two separate Earp movies were going to be huge hits, so one would inevitably overshadow the other. But while Russell was concerned that Costner’s Wyatt Earp would be the one to overshadow his Tombstone, Elliott remained confident in their movie. Elliott ᴀssured Russell that, while Costner’s movie had a lot more money behind it, “They haven’t got this f**king script, and they haven’t got this f**king cast.” And Elliott turned out to be right; the best movie won.

Russell Didn’t Have To Worry, Tombstone Did Way Better Than Wyatt Earp

Tombstone Grossed More Than Twice As Much As Wyatt Earp


Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone

As it turned out, Russell didn’t have anything to worry about. Tombstone beat Wyatt Earp fair and square, both critically and commercially. While Tombstone was widely praised, Wyatt Earp was panned. And while Wyatt Earp bombed with a lifetime gross of $25 million, Tombstone grossed more than twice that with a worldwide total of $56 million. Tombstone benefited from having a budget that was two-and-a-half times smaller than the price-tag of Wyatt Earp. It also had the benefit of arriving first. Wyatt Earp was released six months after Tombstone, when audiences were all Earp’d out.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Related Posts

Liam Neeson’s New Action Movie Is An Action-Packed Sequel – And It’s Already Streaming

Liam Neeson’s New Action Movie Is An Action-Packed Sequel – And It’s Already Streaming

Liam Neeson is undeniably one of the most popular action stars of his generation, and his filmography doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Over the…

Bosch Star’s New Horror Movie Debuts With Disappointing Rotten Tomatoes Score

Bosch Star’s New Horror Movie Debuts With Disappointing Rotten Tomatoes Score

Dracula, Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, endures as a towering monument of gothic literature, its shadow stretching across centuries and cultures. With a mesmerizing blend of horror, sensuality,…

Push Review: Shudder’s Pulse-Pounding Horror Thriller Offers Edge-Of-Your-Seat Scares, Until It Doesn’t

Push Review: Shudder’s Pulse-Pounding Horror Thriller Offers Edge-Of-Your-Seat Scares, Until It Doesn’t

I’ve always been a huge fan of horror movies that take simple premises and add unique twists to make them more compelling and terrifying. Some of my…

Peter Jackson Is Back To Save Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson Is Back To Save Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will fix a major Middle-earth adaptation mistake, and it’s a good sign for the project as a whole….

Two Blockbuster Stars Could Reunite Over 30 Years Later If .4 Billion Grossing Director Has His Way

Two Blockbuster Stars Could Reunite Over 30 Years Later If $2.4 Billion Grossing Director Has His Way

F1: The Movie‘s dream sequel would reunite two blockbuster stars after over 30 years. From the director and co-writer of Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski and Ehren…

Alan Ritchson’s Batman Gets A Detailed Batsuit, Yellow Utility Belt And Menacing Cowl In Stunning DC Art

Alan Ritchson’s Batman Gets A Detailed Batsuit, Yellow Utility Belt And Menacing Cowl In Stunning DC Art

Alan Ritchson showcases how perfect for Batman he is in new DC Universe art. Several actors have been rumored to take the lead role in Batman’s The…