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.”
Changing Directors
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.
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 Many considered Westerns to be outdated, but Tombstone showed skeptics that, as long as it is treated with careful creativity, it can still be a hit.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!
A Riveting Scene
The scene where Doc Holliday shoots Johnny Ringo became a favorite of the cast on set. Star Sam Elliott considered the scene to be one of the best in the entire film.
In an interview, he said that the tension between the two is so good that people are edging for the explosion between them to happen. Though the scene garnered mixed reactions from fans, it did add a new level of drama and intensity to the dramatic Western.
Compliments from Bob Dylan
Star Val Kilmer, claimed that music legend Bob Dylan was enthralled by "Tombstone". Kilmer shared that he met with Dylan and the two spoke of the movie.
Kilmer was in his hotel room when he was contacted by Dylan who asked if he could come over. He eventually popped by and the two were able to admire each other's work to each other's face.