Time and budget constraints forced much of the sprawling screenplay to be cut down also. Despite the film bearing some scars from this process, it’s still a rousing “Oater” with a superb cast. This includes Avatar villain Stephen Lang, who plays the cowardly loudmouth outlaw Ike Clanton.
Stephen Lang Penned Tombstone 2: The Chinaman’s Chance For Sam Elliott
In 2026, Lang reunited with Tombstone co-star Michael Biehn for an episode of the latter’s podcast, Just Foolin’ About. The two reminisced about the production, which included an incredible anecdote where Lang recalled spotting the movie’s credited director, George P. Cosmatos, on an isolated part of the set.
According to Lang, the director was spraying a cheese can into his mouth with one hand, while taking a “p***” with the other. Lang also revealed to Biehn he once penned a sequel script titled Tombstone 2: The Chinaman’s Chance. He revealed the follow-up would have been a “mining” story following Sam Elliott’s Virgil Earp, Wyatt’s older brother.
In the original movie (and real life), Virgil lost the use of his left arm after an assassination attempt. Virgil then left Tombstone with his wife as Wyatt commenced his revenge campaign against the Cowboys gang. While it’s unknown who actually shot Virgil, Ike Clanton was a likely suspect.
Lang revealed that while Ike was part of the follow-up screenplay, his brother Phineas would have been the main villain. Phineas Clanton was left out of the original Tombstone, but the outlaw had major beef with the Earps in reality. Lang also stated that Phin made the rest of the Clantons “… look like Shirley Temple.”
Tombstone 2 Could Have Been A Great Epilogue To The First Movie
Sadly, Lang didn’t go into much more detail about his Tombstone 2 story, including whether Wyatt could have cameoed. Presumably, it would have drawn from Virgil Earp’s life following his Tombstone exit, which included serving as a Marshal and becoming a miner.
It’s also likely the Clanton brothers came seeking revenge on Virgil for the events of Tombstone. The sequel’s subtitle, The Chinaman’s Chance, refers to a dated saying, meaning a person has almost zero chance of succeeding. This phrase was coined in reference to the horrid treatment of Chinese immigrants to America during the 1800s.
Lang’s Tombstone 2 concept sounds intriguing and might have served as a nice epilogue. It could have examined the fallout of the original film from a different perspective, and making Sam Elliott the lead of a Western is always a good idea. The sequel didn’t come to pass ultimately, and it feels doubtful it will now.
Source: Just Foolin’ About with Michael Biehn
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- Birthdate
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July 11, 1952
- Birthplace
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New York City, New York, United States
- Height
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5 feet 10 inches
- Notable Projects
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Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Don’t Breathe
