Summary
Kevin Costner reflects on the decision to release his Western epicWyatt Earpjust six months afterTombstone, expressing regret about the choice. Costner’s Oscar-winningDances With Wolvesestablished him as a major creative force within the venerable Western genre, leading to high expectations for his 1994 movie. However, when it was released just six months after Kurt Russell’s 1993 Earp movie, Costner’s movie stumbled at the box office, losing theTombstoneversusWyatt Earpbattleand becoming a major disappointment for the star.
During a recent interview withGQconducted thirty years afterWyatt Earpflopped at the box office, Costner hasexpressed misgivings at the choice to release the movie so soon afterTombstone. The star said he regrets that the two films were seen as being in competition and that he ignored a friend’s advice to postpone the movie which started “this kind of space race.” Check out his full quote and the video interview below (the quote occurs around 31:24 of the clip):
I love Wyatt, or I just love that movie. We got into a level of competition with Tombstone. A good friend said, “Look, we can postpone this movie. We don’t wanna compete.” And I said, “Look,” I said, “I’m sure this writer, director wants to make this movie, let them.” And then this kind of space race started. And I always regretted that there was this kind of weird competition, and it was a fun movie, Tombstone, but it’s too bad it went the way it went.
Why Postponing Wyatt Earp Would Not Have Saved It
Wyatt EarpMay Have Been Destined To Be A Flop.
Tombstonebeing tighter, less expensive, and more engaging only served to point outWyatt Earp’s flaws, which would have existed regardless.
Tombstonecame out in late 1993, grossing $72.3 million against a budget of $25 million. Released in the summer of 1994, Costner’s rivalWyatt Earp moviecost $63 million to make but only grossed $56 million. Those numbers could indicate that it was indeed a mistake for Costner and director Lawrence Kasdan to release their Earp film so soon afterTombstone, but in fact, postponing the movie for another year might not have saved it becauseWyatt Earpwas generally not well received by those who saw it. See a breakdown of the movies' relative critical and commercial success below:
$25 million
$73.2 million
73%
94%
$63 million
$56 million
32%
61%
Critics were harsh in their assessment ofWyatt Earp, as reflected in the film’s 32% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Their reviews reflect that the movie wassimply too long and too overstuffed with the story. Waiting an extra year to release the movie without making significant cuts may have done little to fix its basic flaws or make it more attractive to audiences. It also would not have changed the reality of its costly production budget.Tombstonebeing tighter, less expensive, and more engaging only served to point outWyatt Earp’s flaws, which would have existed regardless.
Wyatt Earpis 190 minutes long, compared toTombstone’s 130 minutes.
Warner Bros. and director Lawrence Kasdan also arguably over-estimated Costner’s box office clout at a time when his shine from themovieDances with Wolveswas already wearing off, a situation that would not have been helped by pushing the film back another year. Costner may indeed be correct that competing withTombstonetook away fromWyatt Earp’s box office, but in truth, the over-indulgent movie, made at a time when his own box office heat was dissipating, likely would have been a flop no matter what.
Kevin Costner Has Gone On To Redeem His Wyatt Earp Flop
The Star Has Returned To The Top Of The Western Genre.
While the box office prospects ofLet Him Gowere severely limited by the fact that it was theatrically released in November 2020 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Costner’s Western track record, otherwise, has massively improved since theWyatt Earpflop.
Although the poor performance ofWyatt Earpled Costner to take nearly a decade to return to the Western genre, hestruck gold with his 2003 follow-upOpen Range, which earned $68.3 million against a greatly reduced $22 million budget, in addition to being a hit with both audiences and critics. This was followed by a period of general critical and commercial success for his Westerns, especially once he joined theYellowstonecast, leading Taylor Sheridan’s popular neo-Western family drama until departing the show shortly before its finale. Below, see how his post-1994 Westerns have performed both critically and commercially:
79%
84%
$22 million
$68.3 million
71%
91%
76%
59%
85%
$21 million
$10.8 million
While the box office prospects ofLet Him Gowere severely limited by the fact that it was theatrically released in November 2020 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Costner’s Western track record, otherwise, has massively improved since theWyatt Earpflop. Of the five titles in question, only one Rotten Tomatoes score - the 59% rating for Netflix’sThe Highwaymen- was Rotten, and that one only missed the Fresh threshold by 1%. Over the past two decades,Costner has firmly rehabilitated his Western imagedespite his regrets over theWyatt Earprelease.
However, it seems that the star is now preparing to recreate theWyatt EarpandTombstonebattle in the mid-2020s. HisupcomingHorizon: An American Sagais a four-part Western movie epic that will be competing with the final episodes ofYellowstoneand its upcoming spinoffs. The project, which Costner co-wrote, directed, and stars in, cost a fabulously expensive $100 million for the first two chapters and seems to bereturning to the overindulgence ofEarpin both budget and runtime, which may not pay off considering the first movie’s 32% Rotten Tomatoes score coming out of its Cannes premiere.
Wyatt Earp (1994)
Cast
Wyatt Earp (1994) is a biographical Western film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Kevin Costner as the legendary lawman. The film chronicles Wyatt Earp’s life, focusing on his relationships with his brothers and his role in iconic events such as the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The cast includes Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday and Gene Hackman as Nicholas Earp, providing a comprehensive exploration of Earp’s complex legacy.
Tombstone
Tombstone chronicles legendary marshal Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they seek fortune in a prosperous mining town. Forced to confront a gang threatening the community, Earp joins forces with the infamous Doc Holliday, highlighting a tense battle between lawmen and outlaws in the American West.
