The Hollywood Western was mainly popularized by the iconic John Wayne who starred in a staggering 80 films in the genre over the course of his illustrious career. While the veteran was equally skilled at portraying a variety of characters, his image as the quintessential cowboy drew audiences across the world to the theaters to watch his films. The genre also gave him his big acting Oscar for the film True Grit.
With Wayne and the Western intrinsically connected to one another, few directors dared to take the plunge to attempt a remake of his films. The Coen brothers were among the few adventurous filmmakers who cast Jeff Bridges in The Shootist actor’s Oscar-winning role in their version of True Grit. Another Wayne film that almost got made, was set to feature none other than Bruce Willis in the lead, but unfortunately did not materialize.
Bruce Willis Almost Stepped Into John Wayne’s Shoes For The Searchers Remake
If John Wayne was the wizard of Westerns, Bruce Willis was the king of action during his peak. The Die Hard star who dominated the 90s, almost tried his hand at another form of action in a potential remake of a Wayne Western. While the Lady and Gent actor won an acting Oscar for True Grit, his best performance is widely regarded to have been in The Searchers, a film that is reported to have inspired Martin Scorsese’s famous Taxi Driver.
In 1997, Warner Brothers announced that the film was set to be remade as The Trail with Phillip Noyce as the director. In a twist to the genre, the narrative was to have taken a futuristic sci-fi approach while keeping the emotional core of Wayne’s Civil War vet character the same. Stepping into the shoes of a bonafide yesteryear superstar meant that Warner Brothers needed to find an actor who commanded the same aura.
According to Screen Rant, the various discussions for the best choice to take on the role led to Bruce Willis’ name being featured on top of the list thanks to the celebrity’s undisputable superstardom at the time. Unfortunately for reasons that were not revealed, The Trail never went into production. According to a few speculations, the failure of another Warner Brothers film Wild Wild West may have deterred them from taking the risk of attempting this John Wayne remake.
Also Read: Die Hard Prequel: Bruce Willis’ $1.4 Billion Worth Franchise Shifts Focus to a Young John McClane
Bruce Willis Had A Blast On Armageddon Set
Much like his on-screen characters, Bruce Willis proved that he was fun and fearless at heart in reality as well. In 1998, the actor played Harry Stamper, the leader of a newbie astronaut team in the cult space film Armageddon. Directed by Michael Bay, the movie became an iconic blockbuster thanks to Willis’s charismatic presence and his penchant for pure action. Bay, in an interview with Variety, recalled some of the memorable experiences with Willis on set when the actor showed his mischievous persona while filming at the NASA headquarters.
“He goes to me, ‘Mike, we’re gonna do one take; the second take, I’m going to make a run for it and I’m going to go inside the shuttle.’ Bruce is about to break into the space shuttle … and these guys, all in suits, fully masked up, they’re like [wagging his finger side to side], ‘Uh, uh, uh!’
Bay continued his praise for the star by saying that Willis’ energy and positivity on set rubbed off on the entire cast and crew, creating a summer camp-like ambiance. The director also addressed the actor’s current health issues and hoped that he would make a full recovery.
