By 1993 western “Tombstone” has earned many fans over the past thirty years, and has also generated many legends about its creation.
We know the film’s late screenwriter Kevin Jarre was set to direct the film but was then fired a month into production after it became too much for him. Officially, “Cobra” and “Leviathan” helmer George P. Cosmatos then took over as the director to get things back on track.
Unofficially, it has long been rumored that star Kurt Russell himself directed the film with Cosmatos, who has since passed away in 2005. However the stories here have differed depending upon whom you talk to.
Co-star Val Kilmer has previously said Russell “essentially” directed the film but stopped short of saying he actually directed. Russell allegedly worked hard to salvage what Jarre had done in that first month so that when Cosmatos came aboard, things wouldn’t fall behind schedule.
Russell, out promoting Apple TV+ Monsterverse series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” was recently asked straight up by Rolling Stone about how much of the film’s production he was actually involved in. Russell has never spoken publicly of how much he was involved and at this point he tells the magazine he won’t change that perception:
“Tombstone will always remain a mystery. I made a promise to somebody that I won’t talk about things publicly. At the end of the day, I’m really glad that it came out as well as it did.
It had a group of fantastic actors and a writer that, in my opinion, wrote the best Western dialogue ever. And I always see it climbing its way up the ranks in the ‘Best Western’ conversation. I will say this: If I had not been around, Tombstone wouldn’t have, either.”
The film depicts the events around the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, in the late 19th century. Russell took on the role of Wyatt Earp opposite Kilmer as Doc Holliday. It is currently available to watch on Hulu in the United States.
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