In 1993, Tombstone started a battle between Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner, and it’s clear who the winner was. Directed by George P. Cosmatos, Tombstone chronicles the story of the Western lawman, Wyatt Earp, and retells the battle of O.K Corral. Costner was originally asked to play Earp in Tombstone, but he turned the role down because he was working on a Wyatt Earp series.
The cast of Tombstone, which was led by Kurt Russell, added to why the movie is one of the best Westerns ever made. Both Costner and Russell have starred in several Western movies, with Tombstone being one of Russell’s best to date. It was only a matter of time that the two Western icons came head to head.
Kurt Russell & Kevin Costner Both Played Wyatt Earp In The Early 1990s
Kurt Russell And Kevin Costner Each Brought Something Unique To The Wyatt Earp Role
Over the years, several actors have played Wyatt Earp, including Henry Fonda and James Stewart, but Russell and Costner’s portrayals of the lawman are perhaps the most famous. In 1993, Russell took on the role of Earp in the critically acclaimed Tombstone, while Costner played the infamous lawman in the 1994 movie, Wyatt Earp. Given that the two actors have different acting styles, they each brought something unique to their depictions of Earp.
Russell’s Earp in Tombstone was charismatic and gave a more fun performance. Costner’s Earp on the other hand, was a more serious and aggressive version of the Western gunslinger. The two movies also had a different focus despite having the same protagonist, which led to the two iconic actors in the Western movies adding their own spin to the character. Ultimately, it’s a matter of preference when it comes to deciding which actor was the better Wyatt Earp.
Kurt Russell’s Tombstone Beat Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp Movie At The Box Office
Tombstone Had A Smaller Budget Than Wyatt Earp
The battle between Tombstone and Wyatt Earp started before both movies went into production, with the fight only ending once the box office numbers were out. Since the two movies were both Westerns, the casts of the two movies were likely going to have similar costumes, which led to a costume battle between them. Ultimately, Wyatt Earp won the costume battle because it had a much bigger production budget compared to Tombstone.
Tombstone had an estimated production budget of $25 million and made $73 million at the box office. Wyatt Earp, on the other hand, bombed at the box office. The movie had an estimated production budget of $63 million and made $55.9 million at the box office. In the end, the box office performances of the two movies decided which film audiences enjoyed more, and according to the box office numbers, Tombstone was the obvious winner.
Tombstone Also Enjoyed Much Better Critical Reaction Than Costner’s Movie
Tombstone Was More Popular With Audiences
Tombstone not only beat Wyatt Earp at the box office despite having a smaller production budget, but it also had a better critical reaction. Tombstone received a 73% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences also seemed to enjoy the film, which resulted in a 93% Rotten Tomatoes audience score. Wyatt Earp, on the other hand, had a 31% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 61% Rotten Tomatoes audience score.
The rather sizable difference in this area is reflected by the two movies’ respective reputations. While Wyatt Earp is still considered a quality Western, it’s not given the same level of recognition afforded to Tombstone. Kurt Russell’s movie is regularly counted as one of the greatest Westerns of all time and arguably one of the best films to come out of the early 1990s. Tombstone has an enduring legacy, one that easily beats out Wyatt Earp. Given that Tombstone performed better at the box office and had a better critical reaction, it’s clear that Kurt Russell won the Wyatt Earp battle.