Bruce Willis’ Wasted Wyatt Earp Movie Deserves A Remake 38 Years Later

Bruce Willis’ Wyatt Earp film Sundown had an excellent premise, but it surely was wasted as a flat buddy comedy. There have been loads of Wyatt Earp motion pictures, from John Ford’s traditional My Darling Clementine to Kevin Costner’s aptly titled Wyatt Earp. Some contemplate 1993’s Tombstone to be Earp’s finest movie, and it has come to be seen as a traditional.

The story of Earp and his time in Tombstone feels prefer it’s already been arrange for a film, and the story of his life might be approached from many alternative angles. One distinctive one was 1988’s Sundown, wherein display screen icon James Garner performed Earp, who heads to Nineteen Twenties Hollywood to seek the advice of on a Western starring Tom Combine.

Sundown combines James Garner’s Wyatt Earp with Bruce Willis’ Tom Combine.

Whereas it is true that Earp consulted him on early Westerns and that he and Combine turned mates, Sundown tells a totally fictional story. The story sees the 2 of them teaming as much as search out a assassin, with Combine, performed by Bruce Willis, really enjoying Earp within the movie (which by no means occurred in actual life).

On paper, Sundown has rather a lot to supply. Directed by comedy legend Blake Edwards (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Pink Panther) and pairing Willis (simply earlier than his breakout function in Die Laborious) with Garner, who beforehand performed Earp in 1967’s Hour of the Gun, it had a killer idea.

However the finish result’s a wierd amalgamation of screwball humor, violent motion comedy, and downbeat thriller. Edwards by no means finds his constant kind, and Garner and Willis do not have the very best chemistry. Years later, Garner revealed that he didn’t significantly take pleasure in working with Willis, as he disliked his tendency to improvise conversations.

‘Sundown’ has an unimaginable hook that the film wasted on

One of many strengths of Sundown is its central premise. Certain, it is performed loosely with actuality (one thing the film itself is in on), however the thought of ​​Outdated Man Earp teaming up with a film star to unravel mysteries is an attention-grabbing one. The movie has attraction and appears nice, but it surely lacks a pulse.

That is primarily as a result of tonal conflicts. Sundown would not know what she needs to be, so she decides to attempt every part. Critics and audiences alike didn’t just like the movie, and it turned an enormous come across its launch. In a 2007 Q&A with AICN, Willis himself referred to Sundown as a “canine.”

Sundown deserves a contemporary remake (and this is who ought to star)

An enterprising producer or actor would possibly need to mud off Sundown and provides it one other attempt. The sidekick features of Combine and Earp ought to stay intact, however the remake ought to be darker, incorporating connections to Wild West mythology and filmmaking.

I might additionally prefer to see the story of Earp in his later years. In that regard, there isn’t any actor higher suited to play the getting old Earp than Kurt Russell. This makes the movie an unofficial sequel to Tombstone, and in addition pays off for the movie’s remaining line, wherein Tom Combine “cries” at Earp’s funeral.

Pair Russell’s Earp with up-and-coming artists like Glen Powell and Austin Butler and you have a contemporary Sundown off to an excellent begin. In fact, it helps if you have already got a stable script in place. It most likely will not occur, however a person can dream…

Supply: AICN