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

Bruce Willis’ Wyatt Earp movie Sunset had a great premise, which was wasted on a flat buddy comedy. There have been plenty of Wyatt Earp movies, from John Ford classic My Darling Clementine to Kevin Costner’s aptly titled Wyatt Earp. Some consider 1993’s Tombstone as the best Earp movie, and it has come to be seen as a classic.

The story of Earp and his time in Tombstone feels ready-made for a movie, and his life story could be approached from many angles. One of the unique is 1988’s Sunset, where screen icon James Garner played Earp, who heads to Hollywood in the 1920s to consult on a Western starring Tom Mix.

Sunset Teamed James Garner’s Wyatt Earp With Bruce Willis’ Tom Mix

James Garner as Wyatt Earp and Bruce Willis aiming guns in Sunset.

While it is true that Earp consulted on early Western movies and that he and Mix became pals, Sunset tells an entirely fictional tale. The narrative sees Bruce Willis’ Mix actually playing Earp in a film (which didn’t happen in reality) before the two team to hunt down a killer.

On paper, Sunset has much going for it. It’s helmed by comedy legend Blake Edwards (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Pink Panther movies), it paired Willis (shortly before his breakout with Die Hard) with Garner – who previously played Earp in 1967’s Hour of the Gun – and it had a killer concept.

However, the end result is a bizarre blend of screwball humor, violent action comedy, and downbeat thriller. Edwards never finds a consistent tone, and Garner and Willis don’t have the best chemistry. Years later, Garner would reveal he didn’t have a great time working with Willis, disliking his tendency to improvise dialogue.

Sunset Has An Incredible Hook That The Movie Wastes

James Garner as Wyatt Earp with Bruce Willis standing behind him in Sunset.

One advantage Sunset has is that central premise. Sure, it plays fast and loose with reality (something the movie itself jokes about), but the idea of old man Earp teaming with a movie star to solve a mystery is a juicy one. While there’s some charm to the film and it looks great, it’s lacking a pulse.

This is largely down to its clash of tones. Sunset feels unsure of what it wants to be, so it decides to try everything. Critics and audiences didn’t warm to it either, and it bombed upon release. In a Q&A with AICN in 2007, Willis himself labeled Sunset a “dog.”

Sunset Deserves A Modern Remake (& Here’s Who Should Star)

Kurt Russell as Wyatt Warp aiming a gun in Tombstone.

An enterprising producer or actor would do well to dust off Sunset and take another swing at it. While the buddy aspect between Mix and Earp should remain intact, a remake should go darker, while playing into the links between Old West myths and moviemaking.

It would also be nice to see a story about Earp in his final years. On that front, there would be no actor better suited to portraying an older Earp now than Kurt Russell. This would make the film an unofficial Tombstone sequel, while paying off that movie’s final line about Tom Mix “weeping” at Earp’s funeral.

Pair Russell’s Earp with an up-and-comer like Glen Powell or Austin Butler, and a modern Sunset would be starting on a great note. Of course, it would help if a solid screenplay were already in place, too. It likely won’t happen, but a man can dream…

Source: AICN