Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner only made one film together, but their differing visions for their 2001 action movie led to some post-production wrestles. The careers of Costner and Russell have overlapped and paralleled in interesting ways, with the two becoming major stars around the same era. Sports comedy Bull Durham was actually developed with Russell in mind for the lead and was partly based on his own experiences playing baseball. When Costner became interested in the script, he was the bigger name quickly cast in Russell’s place.
The two also fronted competing Wyatt Earp biopics, with Russell starring in 1993’s Tombstone while Costner led Wyatt Earp the very next year. Costner was originally attached to Tombstone but left due to creative disagreements, and then used his star power to try and sabotage development on Russell’s film. Russell is also reported to have ghost-directed Tombstone which became a solid hit and is now considered a Western classic. On the other hand, Costner’s Wyatt Earp was a box-office bomb that failed to recoup its production budget.
Russell made his screen debut in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair, a romantic comedy where he kicks Elvis Presley’s character in the shin. Kurt Russell went on to play Elvis several times, including in John Carpenter’s Elvis miniseries and he voiced the singer in Forrest Gump. 3000 Miles to Graceland is a heist movie where Russell and Costner’s criminals rob a casino during an Elvis convention but become enemies after the robbery goes awry. Naturally, Russell gets to test out his impression of the singer once again, with 3000 Miles to Graceland implying Russell’s Michael is Elvis’ son.
The film was one of many that tried to copy Quentin Tarantino’s formula of slick, pop-culture-infused dialogue alongside intense scenes of violence. Sadly, it feels hopelessly dated, with its lame humor, assortment of flashy edits and mediocre nu-metal making for a mixed experience. The film is also too long and loses momentum after the first act heist.
Still, 3000 Miles to Graceland is notable for being Russell and Costner’s only collaboration, and the supporting cast includes Courtney Cox, Christian Slater, and Thomas Haden Church. Despite a couple of impressive action sequences, 3000 Miles to Graceland was a total box-office disappointment, grossing less than $19 million worldwide (via The Numbers) on a reported production budget of $47 million. This led to the film being released straight to video in most overseas territories.
Costner and Russell don’t share much screen time in 3000 Miles to Graceland following the first act, with the story turning into a road trip. By all accounts, the two enjoyed working together but had differing views on the movie’s tone in post-production. According to a report from Inside.com (via The Guardian), Russell and Costner were allowed by the director and producers to assemble their own edits for test audiences. Russell’s cut was more character-based and focused on the romance between Russell’s Michael and Cox’s Cybil, while Costner’s was more action-oriented.
The report also highlighted there was no tension between the stars over their opposing views on 3000 Miles to Graceland, though the difference between Costner’s and Russell’s versions was said to be vast. Costner was also known for taking over editing on his projects and is said to have had such a heavy hand in assembling Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves that director Kevin Reynolds quit the project weeks before it debuted.
Russell and Costner’s cuts of 3000 Miles to Graceland were put before test audiences. Reportedly, the Costner edit was the clear winner, and that became the version that was released. The film cast Costner in a rare villainous role, and it has been said he wanted to shatter his All-American good guy image with the film (via ABC News). 3000 Miles to Graceland might feature the star’s most unrestrained and hammy performance, and he’s clearly having a great time going dark.
Unfortunately, Costner’s energy isn’t matched by the final version, which is a hodgepodge of disparate tones and ideas. Goofy comedy is intercut with sequences of John Woo-inspired bloodshed, and the story never particularly judges Russell’s character for his part in a heist that leaves about 20 bodies in its wake. Perhaps Kurt Russell’s 3000 Miles to Graceland presented a more fleshed-out version – though it’s unlikely there was ever a cut that would have become a financial success.
Source: The Numbers, The Guardian, ABC News