Tombstone. A name that would send shivers down the spine of cinephiles and film enthusiasts almost didn’t happen. Kevin Costner had a very important part to play in the making of that film even though he wasn’t a part of the movie!
It was the early 90s and people were missing the early 60s and 70s when cowboys and gunslingers were the talk of the town. Well, the famous lawman Wyatt Earp’s story found its way to Hollywood and people climbed on it like the gold rush.
Wyatt Earp’s Story Needed To Be Told
Wyatt Earp was a real historical figure in the 1850s until his death in 1929. Being a lawman who was once the owner of a brother, Wyatt Earp got into the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral in 1881.
Surprisingly, Earp was unharmed throughout most of his shootings during his lifetime while his brother and partners weren’t so lucky. This led to some mysterious power around his persona after he retired.
Well, Kevin Jarre, the screenwriter of Tombstone, and Wyatt Earp screenwriters Kasdan and Dan Gordon had the idea to make a film about the legendary lawmen. After writing the script, Kevin Jarre approached veteran actor Kevin Costner with the idea.
According to the book The Making of Tombstone (via SlashFilm), Jarre revealed that,
After [Kevin Costner] read the script, he called and respectfully declined. He said he had a mini-series he was developing for pay-per-view on the whole life of Earp and we left it at that.
However, what seemed to be a tale of terrible timing is also alleged to be something much more than that. As Jarre continued in his book, he thought that Costner making a series on Wyatt Earp was unnatural.
Not because Costner wasn’t associated with cowboy roles (because he was and still is) but because the timing of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone seemed too similar to occur at once.
Was Kevin Costner Trying To Sabotage Tombstone?
When the script for Tombstone was ready, Kevin Costner announced Wyatt Earp, a mini-series that would cover the life of Earp from his birth till the O.K. Corral gunfight.
As quoted by Entertainment Weekly, Tombstone screenwriter Kevin Jarre was quoted saying that Kevin Costner’s project was “an attempt to crush my picture,”
However, they had the upper hand since the script was ready and they began casting people. Val Kilmer was approached for the role of Doc Holliday while Kurt Russell was called in for the role of Wyatt Earp.
Upon release, the film received worldwide fame and acclaim while Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp was considered a disappointing failure. Tombstone received a rating of 7.8/10 on IMDB and a whopping 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.
On the other hand, Costner’s mini-series was condensed into a three-hour movie which received a rating of 6.7/10 on IMDB and a record low of 31% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Tombstone and Wyatt Earp are available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
