Tombstone may have been released at a time when interest in Western films was low, but despite this, it managed to pull in over $56,500,000 in domestic ticket sales. To all those who thought Westerns had passed their sell-by date and could no longer draw a crowd, “Tombstone” proved them wrong. The movie was released on Christmas Eve of 1993 and won over audiences.
It wasn’t just the fans who loved the movie. The critics also gave it positive reviews which probably encouraged some of the more skeptical viewers to go and see it. Ranking at number 14 of the highest-grossing Western movies since 1979 is a fantastic achievement, especially considering that so many people doubted its success.
Directors Duel
Kevin Jarre, who wrote "Tombstone" was initially intended to be the director of the film. However, he was replaced in the early stages of production by the legendary George P. Cosmatos. While Jarre was considered to be a very talented writer, this was set to be his first attempt at directing a movie of this scale. Unfortunately, Jarre, overwhelmed by the project, was ultimately replaced by Cosmatos, who at the time had a reputation for making films with amazing historical accuracy.
While it was perhaps a loss for some, many people in the production felt a sense of relief when Cosmatos took over. Cosmatos was able to bring a different eye to the film and shine a new light in a way that Jarre couldn’t. This new perspective brought the movie to life, which for a Western film is certainly a feat. Thanks to Cosmatos’s vision and execution, "Tombstone" is now an all-time classic.
Mega Stars
Despite the genre’s major decline in popularity by the ‘90s, "Tombstone" was able to attract some great icons of the film industry to be part of the cast. The story was compelling enough to appeal to the likes of Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell, who both felt that the film had a real promise.
Alongside these A-list stars were a host of other actors including Powers Boothe, Dana Delany, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, and the Oscar-nominated Sam Elliott. Hollywood legend, Robert Mitchum, gave his voice to the film as the narrator which as a combined cast, gave "Tombstone" an excellent starting point. Considering this was 1993 and Western movies were totally out of date, compiling this cast was a major accomplishment.
Bob Dylan’s Obsession
"Tombstone" also had a celebrity following. Among them was music star, Bob Dylan. The feeling was clearly mutual as Val Kilmer was once quoted as saying, “One of my favorites was Bob Dylan, who was obsessed with Tombstone.”
Val Kilmer recounts how much of an honor it was that Bob Dylan came to see him at his hotel. During their conversation, he remembers that Dylan eventually said, “Ain’t you gonna say anything about that movie?”. Kilmer was pretty starstruck over the encounter and felt extremely flattered over the fact that all Dylan wanted to do was discuss the film.
Michael Biehn Wanted to Get Shot
If you’ve seen the movie, then you’ll know there is a scene where Doc Holliday, who is played by Val Kilmer, shoots Jonny Ringo, played by Michael Biehn. Many fans didn’t want this to happen, but Biehn gave an interview where he revealed: “I wanted him to shoot me!”. This may seem strange to viewers and fans, but this just showed how invested in the movie the actors were. Very impressive!
During the interview, he mentioned how he still feels that "Tombstone" has one of the greatest moments on film and stated, “Yeah, that’s what I was trying to do, and that’s what I got.” Clearly, Biehn saw the acting as a success.