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

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The Bruce Willis film Sunset, about Wyatt Earp, had an interesting idea, but it ended up being a fairly unremarkable comedy. Many films have told the story of Wyatt Earp, including the John Ford classic My Darling Clementine and Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp. While several are well-regarded, many consider the 1993 film Tombstone to be the definitive Wyatt Earp movie and a modern classic.

Wyatt Earp’s life in Tombstone is practically begging to be made into a film, and there are countless ways to tell his story. A particularly interesting take is the 1988 movie Sunset, featuring James Garner as Earp. In the film, Earp travels to Hollywood in the 1920s to advise on a Western movie starring Tom Mix.

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

Although Wyatt Earp did advise on some of the first Western films and became friends with Tom Mix, the movie Sunset presents a completely made-up story. In the film, Tom Mix (played by Bruce Willis) pretends to be Earp in a movie – something that never happened – and then the two of them work together to track down a murderer.

On the surface, Sunset seemed like a sure thing. It was directed by comedy great Blake Edwards (known for Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Pink Panther films), starred Bruce Willis just before he became famous with Die Hard, and featured James Garner, who had previously played Wyatt Earp in the 1967 film Hour of the Gun. Plus, the basic idea for the movie was fantastic.

The movie ultimately feels like a strange mix of wacky comedy, action-packed violence, and serious thriller elements. The director struggles to maintain a consistent mood, and the leads, Garner and Willis, don’t quite click on screen. Garner later admitted he didn’t enjoy working with Willis, as Willis often made up lines as he went along.

Sunset Has An Incredible Hook That The Movie Wastes

A strong point of Sunset is its central idea: the unlikely pairing of an aging Wyatt Earp and a film star to investigate a mystery. It’s a compelling concept, and the movie acknowledges its own disregard for reality. However, despite some appealing qualities and a stylish look, the film ultimately feels lifeless.

The movie’s biggest problem is its inconsistent style. Sunset tries to be too many things at once, and it doesn’t quite succeed. As a result, both critics and audiences didn’t enjoy it, and it failed to perform well in theaters. Even Bruce Willis, in a 2007 interview with AICN, admitted the film was a failure.

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

Someone with a good eye for projects should consider revisiting the film Sunset. While keeping the strong friendship between the two main characters, a new version could be more dramatic and explore the connections between Western legends and the world of filmmaking.

A story focusing on Wyatt Earp’s later life would be great, and Kurt Russell would be the perfect choice to play him. It would essentially act as a follow-up to the film Tombstone, and cleverly reference the movie’s ending, where it’s mentioned Tom Mix was said to have been crying at Earp’s funeral.

Imagine pairing Kurt Russell with a rising star like Glen Powell or Austin Butler for a new version of Sunset. That would be a fantastic start! Of course, a strong script would be essential. It’s probably just wishful thinking, but it’s fun to consider.

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2026-02-22 20:23