Ethan Hawke will star in and co-write a remake of The Gunfighter, a Gregory Peck Western. Released in 1950, The Gunfighter hails from director Henry King, with Peck starring as Jimmy Ringo, a notorious gunslinger who finds himself embroiled in a lot of trouble after riding into town to find his true love. The Western movie, which also stars Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell, and Jean Parker, was critically-acclaimed, and it came only three years before Peck’s memorable role in Roman Holiday (1953).
Deadline reports that Hawke is now attached to bring a new take on The Gunfighter to life for 20th Century Studios. Hawke will produce and co-write the film with Shelby Gaines, his writing partner, and the report notes that he could end up directing the project, though he’s not yet contracted to do so. The film is reportedly in early development, with no filming start window or release date currently known. It’s also unclear if he will end up starring in the movie.
What The Gunfighter Remake Means For Ethan Hawke
Hawke’s History With Westerns Explained
Hawke is no stranger to the Western genre. The actor, who is widely known for his roles in movies like Training Day (2001), the Before trilogy, and The Black Phone (2021), has appeared in a number of Westerns, including In A Valley of Violence (2016), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and The Kid (2019). He also appeared in Strange Way of Life in 2023, a Western short film, and The Good Lord Bird, a miniseries that he created and wrote.
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Hawke is a credited writer on movies like Before Sunset (2004), Before Midnight (2013), Blaze (2018), and Wildcat (2023), the latter two of which he also directed. If Hawke does end up directing The Gunfighter, it will mark his first Western feature film as a director. Hawke has previously listed The Gunfighter as one of his favorite movies of all time during an interview on TCM’s 2 For 1 with host Ben Mankewiez, meaning the remake could represent quite a passion project for him.
Our Take On Ethan Hawke’s The Gunfighter
Westerns Are A Risky Business
Westerns haven’t been great bets theatrically for decades now, as was recently seen with Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. Audience interest in Westerns just isn’t as high as it once was, and there have been a number of high-profile flops in the genre since 2000. Even the Magnificent Seven remake was a box office disappointment, and that featured a cast that included Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.
Made on a reported budget of $100 million, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 grossed only $38 million worldwide.
In order to mitigate risk, it’s likely that The Gunfighter remake won’t be a particularly expensive film. Hawke himself also isn’t a big enough name on his own to really sell a film, so it’s possible the studio will eye a bigger name to star. Risk aside, though, Hawke’s love of the material makes him a great fit to bring a new version of The Gunfighter to life, and more details about the project will hopefully emerge as he gets further along in the writing process.
Source: Deadline
The Gunfighter
- Release Date
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August 21, 1950
- Runtime
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85 Minutes
- Director
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Henry King
- Writers
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William Bowers, William Sellers, André De Toth