Kurt Russell was worried thatTombstonewould get buried at the box office by the more expensiveWyatt Earp, butTombstoneended up outgrossing its competitor 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 withVolcanoandDante’s Peak,ArmageddonandDeep Impact, andNo Strings AttachedandFriends with Benefits.
One of the most famous examples is the rivalry betweenTombstoneandWyatt Earp, two biopics of the notorious western lawman released six months apart. AlthoughWyatt Earpseemed to have everything going for it — a bigger budget, a more generous studio, and less behind-the-scenes drama —Tombstonewon the battle by a mile. While Russell was worried Kevin Costner’sWyatt Earpmovie would defeatTombstoneat the box office,Tombstoneultimately 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
BothTombstoneandWyatt Earpwere in production at the same time. While Russell and co. were shootingTombstonein Arizona, Costner and co. were shootingWyatt Earpin New Mexico. Sam Elliott — who gives one ofTombstone’s best performancesas Virgil Earp, brother to Russell’s Wyatt — has opened up about Russell’s fears surrounding the western biopic race (viaEntertainment Weekly). While Elliott was never worried about the competition presented by Costner’s movie, he said thatRussell spent the entire shoot “angst-ridden” about the impending box office battle between the two projects.
Elliott assured Russell that, while Costner’s movie had a lot more money behind it, “They haven’t got this fking script, and they haven’t got this fking 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’sWyatt Earpwould be the one to overshadow hisTombstone,Elliott remained confident in their movie. Elliott assured Russell that, while Costner’s movie had a lot more money behind it, “They haven’t got this fking script, and they haven’t got this fking cast.” AndElliott 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
As it turned out, Russell didn’t have anything to worry about.TombstonebeatWyatt Earpfair and square, both critically and commercially. WhileTombstonewas widely praised,Wyatt Earpwas panned. Andwhile Wyatt Earp bombed with a lifetime gross of $25 million,Tombstonegrossed more than twice that with a worldwide total of $56 million.Tombstonebenefited from having a budget that was two-and-a-half times smaller than the price-tag ofWyatt Earp. It also had the benefit of arriving first.Wyatt Earpwas released six months afterTombstone, when audiences were all Earp’d out.
