Tombstone was originally scheduled to be directed by Kevin Jarre who wrote the film. But Jarre was soon replaced as director by Hollywood legend George P. Cosmatos.
The change was surprising considering Jarre’s intimate knowledge and involvement with the project.
Holli-Days
After his death, Doc Holliday became a very iconic, historical figure. Other than the film, "Tombstone", there are other ways in which his fascinating life has been memorialized.
Today, Tombstone, Arizona holds “Doc-Holli-Days” which celebrate the legendary figure on the second weekend of August each year.
The Stars in "Tombstone"
Though very popular at one time, by 1993 the Western film genre was on the decline. But with so many A-list actors on board for "Tombstone", the project soon caught attention. The star-studded ensemble included Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer as well as Michael Biehn, Dana Delany, Powers Boothe, Bill Paxton, and Sam Elliott.
To make the project even more intriguing, it was also narrated by Hollywood icon Robert Mitchum. That’s quite well put together for a 90s Western!
A Box Office Hit
People doubted "Tombstone"'s success, but it did rather well. Many considered Westerns to be outdated, but Tombstone showed skeptics that, as long as it is treated with careful creativity, it can still be a hit. The film was released on Christmas Eve in 1993, and grossed $56.5 Million in domestic ticket sales!
Even more amazing, critics loved the film as much as the average moviegoers did. Today, "Tombstone" has become a prime example of the Western film genre, ranking 14th on the list of highest-grossing Western films since 1979!
Shooting Michael Biehn
Spoiler warning: A major plotline of "Tombstone" is where Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) shoots Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn).
Many fans were upset at the shooting in the film, but Biehn later confessed that he was ok with the scene. “I wanted him to shoot me!” the actor admitted. Biehn continued saying, “Well, I always thought Johnny Ringo had a little bit of a ‘[death] by police’ mentality."