“Was Kurt Russell’s Worst Movie Really Kevin Costner’s Fault?”

If a movie starring Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner had hit theaters in the late 1980s or early 1990s—when both actors were at the height of their stardom—it likely would have been a box office smash, regardless of the script.

Unfortunately, by the time the two finally shared the screen at the turn of the millennium, the result was anything but a success. In fact, despite Kurt Russell’s long and steady career—beginning in 1963 and spanning dozens of well-received roles—3000 Miles to Graceland remains his most critically panned film.

Though Russell and Costner had never worked together before, there had always been a quiet rivalry between the two. Both possessed that rugged, all-American appeal and had even crossed paths professionally a couple of times, each notching one win. But their third cinematic meeting would be a loss for both.

Years earlier, Russell had collaborated with director Ron Shelton on developing a baseball drama about a faded veteran reclaiming his passion for the game. But when studios were ready to greenlight the project, Bull Durham only moved forward if Costner—already a bigger box office draw—took the lead.

Not long after, the pair went head-to-head again when Russell starred in Tombstone as Wyatt Earp, just as Costner began work on his own take on the lawman with Wyatt Earp, a sprawling three-hour epic that flopped commercially and earned Costner a Razzie for Worst Actor.

By the early 2000s, both actors were on uncertain ground. Russell hadn’t appeared in a film since 1998’s Soldier, a box office disappointment, and Costner was struggling to reclaim his former relevance after a string of misfires.

Enter 3000 Miles to Graceland, a high-concept crime caper about Elvis impersonators pulling off a heist during an Elvis convention. On paper, it had potential—especially with Russell’s deep admiration for Elvis Presley and Costner’s interest in gritty anti-hero roles. But in execution, the film was a complete disaster, earning five Razzie nominations and bombing hard at the box office.

The final product was incoherent, stylistically uneven, and plagued by scenes that felt like they belonged in entirely different movies. It had all the hallmarks of a film that had been reworked in post-production by too many hands.

Rumors swirled that first-time director Demian Lichtenstein was so overwhelmed that he effectively handed creative control to the stars. Allegedly, both Russell and Costner were allowed to create their own edits of the movie—Russell’s focusing on character, Costner’s on action. Costner’s cut ultimately made it to theaters.

“It sounds a hell of a lot nastier than it actually was,” one insider later said of the situation.

While neither actor has publicly confirmed the behind-the-scenes drama, a few things remain clear. Kurt Russell has never been in a film more savaged by critics. Kevin Costner, for his part, has a well-documented tendency to exert creative control, sometimes to the detriment of the final product.

Was 3000 Miles to Graceland entirely his fault? Maybe not. But it’s safe to say no one involved walked away from the wreckage looking good.