Well, howdy there, folks. It looks as if Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight, Batwheels, The Black Phone) is saddling up for a remake of the Gregory Peck Western The Gunfighter at 20th Century Studios. According to Deadline, the project is in its early development stage, with Hawke co-writing the screenplay alongside Shelby Gaines. Hawke, a significant fan of the Henry King-directed original, plans to star in the film as Jimmy Ringo, a man with an itchy trigger finger who finds himself in trouble after riding into town looking for his true love. Only she doesn’t want to see him. While Jimmy doesn’t come to town looking for trouble, trouble finds him everywhere. Although he’s not contracted to, Hawke could also direct the film.
Henry King’s The Gunfighter, released in 1950, stars Gregory Peck as Jimmy Ringo, Helen Westcott as Peggy Walsh, and Millard Mitchell as Marshal Mark Strett. Previously, Hawke spoke with TMC’s 2 For 1 host, Ben Mankewiez, about his love for King’s original take, saying he discovered the film after listening to the Bob Dylan song Brownsville Girl where Dylan tips his hat to a Gregory Peck Western.
Ethan Hawke’s Hollywood dance card is exceptionally full, with nine projects in development. He recently completed work on The Black Phone 2, a sequel to Scott Derrickson’s 2021 horror film about a young boy named Finney (Mason Thames) getting abducted by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), a masked killer who keeps his victims in a basement. As Finney adapts to his circumstances, he discovers a disconnected phone that receives calls from The Grabber’s previous victims. The voices help Finney plot his escape, but not before The Grabber learns about his plans. Given the events of the original film’s startling finale, how The Grabber factors into The Black Phone 2 is anyone’s guess. Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, and Madeline McGraw, who plays Finney’s sister Gwen, return for the sequel.
What do you think about Ethan Hawke taking the reins for a remake of Gregory Peck’s The Gunfighter? Have you seen the original? Our Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, is also a fan of King’s film and is intrigued by today’s news. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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