{"id":2577378,"date":"2026-03-08T10:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T14:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kurt-russell-says-tombstone-should-have-been-even-better-hollywood-dysfunction-resulted-in-22-pages-of-script-being-cut\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T10:07:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T14:07:39","slug":"kurt-russell-says-tombstone-should-have-been-even-better-hollywood-dysfunction-resulted-in-22-pages-of-script-being-cut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kurt-russell-says-tombstone-should-have-been-even-better-hollywood-dysfunction-resulted-in-22-pages-of-script-being-cut\/","title":{"rendered":"Kurt Russell Says &#8216;Tombstone&#8217; Should Have Been Even Better, Hollywood Dysfunction Resulted in 22 Pages of Script Being Cut"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">38<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkurt-russell-says-tombstone-should-have-been-even-better-hollywood-dysfunction-resulted-in-22-pages-of-script-being-cut%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2577378&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Kurt Russell recently reflected on Tombstone,saying the 1990s Western could have ranked among the greatest films of all time if the original screenplay by Kevin Jarre hadn\u2019t been altered. While acknowledging Tombstone\u2019s enduring fanbase, he suggested that a director change and budget problems led to the removal of about 22 pages from the script, preventing the movie from reaching its full epic potential. He has compared the screenplay\u2019s upside to The Godfather, though the final film remains highly regarded.<\/p>\n<p>russell, promoting his Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Paramount+ neo-Western The Madison, discussed Tombstone in the context of what might have been, reiterating that the original version was much more expansive and powerful. He expressed lingering regret that production changes and financial constraints prevented the screenplay from realizing its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-pushes-congress-to-pass-bill-allowing-11-million-immigrants-to-gain-citizenship\/\" title=\"Biden Pushes Congress to Pass Bill Allowing 11 Million Immigrants to Gain Citizenship\">full promise<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In the same vein, the interviews touched on The Madison, which was initially pitched as a Yellowstone spin-off. Russell described it as a very different, female-gaze-oriented show with strong writing, highlighting that it offered a distinct departure from Sheridan\u2019s typical male-centric Westerns.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Actor Kurt Russell revealed this week that his 90s Western hit &ldquo;Tombstone&rdquo; could have been considered one of the greatest films of all time had changes not been made to the original screenplay.<\/p>\n<p>Russell was promoting his new Apple TV streaming show, &ldquo;Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,&rdquo; and his Paramount+ neo-Western, &ldquo;The Madison,&rdquo; which led to a discussion about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sam-elliott-critics-forgot-how-he-enjoyed-quintessential-gay-cowboy-movie-brokeback-mountain-calling-it-a-beautiful-film\/\" title=\"Sam Elliott Critics Forgot How He Enjoyed Quintessential Gay Cowboy ... \u2018Brokeback Mountain,\u2019 Calling It \u2018A Beautiful Film\u2019\">cult classic movie<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s well aware of how beloved his Wyatt Earp-led tale is to generations of people,&rdquo; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-features\/monarch-legacy-of-monsters-kurt-wyatt-russell-season-2-spinoff-1236518631\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">article<\/a>&nbsp;from The Hollywood Reporter read. &ldquo;But being so close to it, he still can&rsquo;t shake the potential that Kevin Jarre&rsquo;s original screenplay had.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In the past, he&rsquo;s compared the script&rsquo;s upside to that of The Godfather, as has his co-star Stephen Lang,&rdquo; the story continued. &ldquo;But due to a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >director change mid-production<\/a> and subsequent budgetary problems that forced Russell to shed 22 pages of that vaunted screenplay, Tombstone will forever be his &lsquo;one that got away.&#8217;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>As Russell, 74, was questioned about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disney-world-removes-animatronic-that-could-be-offensive-to-alcoholics-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Disney World removes animatronic that could be offensive to alcoholics - Washington Examiner\">film&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s potential, he lamented how epic the original screenplay was compared to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hawley-proposes-15-minimum-wage-for-billion-dollar-companies\/\" title=\"Hawley Proposes  Minimum Wage For Billion-Dollar Companies\">final product<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); 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\t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s because of the screenplay. The movie is not as good as the screenplay,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>When asked if he had come to terms with this, Russell said various changes and budget issues prevented it from being one of the greatest films ever made.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll never make peace with that,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;It could have been way better. It&rsquo;s considered one of the great Westerns, right? It could have been considered one of the great movies. It had a great cast, but it had fabulous writing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;And for a lot of different reasons, the money got burned through, and the director thing didn&rsquo;t work out,&rdquo; Russell continued. &ldquo;So we had to go about it differently, and we got what we made. The impact of Tombstone is very strong, and that&rsquo;s nice. That&rsquo;s great. But could it have been a lot better? Yes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Madison,&rdquo; which was originally conceived as a spinoff to the hit Paramount show &ldquo;Yellowstone&rdquo; &mdash; both created by Taylor Sheridan &mdash; follows a New York City family in the Madison River Valley of central Montana.<\/p>\n<p>The early trailers reportedly teased a &ldquo;sentimental story&rdquo; which serves as a departure from Sheridan&rsquo;s manly Westerns of the past.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Russell revealed that the story will be told from a woman&rsquo;s perspective &mdash; and writing for women is one of Sheridan&rsquo;s biggest weaknesses, according to some viewers,&rdquo; Slash Film <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/entertainment\/kurt-russell-claims-madison-directly-000000633.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that it&rsquo;s a very different show for Taylor in that it&rsquo;s a very female-gaze-oriented show,&rdquo; Russell added. &ldquo;And I think it&rsquo;s extremely well written, it was fun to play. It was really fun to do. I just had a good time.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kurt Russell recently said that Tombstone could have been one of the greatest films ever if Kevin Jarre\u2019s original screenplay hadn\u2019t been altered by a mid\u2011production director change and budget problems that forced him to cut about 22 pages. While promoting his Apple TV+ show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and the Paramount+ neo\u2011Western The Madison, Russell noted the epic scope of the original script and has long compared its potential to The Godfather, a view echoed by co\u2011star Stephen Lang. He acknowledged that the changes and money issues prevented Tombstone from reaching its full greatness, though he still regards its strong cast and lasting impact as significant. In related remarks, he discussed The Madison\u2014Taylor Sheridan\u2019s neo\u2011Western originally conceived as a Yellowstone spinoff about a New York City family in Montana\u2014and described it as a very different, female\u2011driven story that he believes is well written and enjoyable to perform, even as some viewers criticize Sheridan\u2019s handling of female perspectives<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2577379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-04T162345.068.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4361,75351,29337],"class_list":["post-2577378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-hollywood","tag-kurt-russell","tag-tombstone"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-04T162345.068.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2577378"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2577382,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577378\/revisions\/2577382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2577379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2577378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2577378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2577378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}