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''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' is a 2014 American
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
dark comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
film directed by
Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series '' Family Guy'' (since 1999) and '' The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creat ...
and written by MacFarlane,
Alec Sulkin Alexander Matthew Sulkin (born February 14, 1973) is an American screenwriter, producer, and voice actor known for his work on ''Family Guy'' and ''The Cleveland Show''. Career Sulkin began as a writer for '' The Late Late Show with Craig Kilbo ...
and
Wellesley Wild Henry Wellesley Wild (born April 27, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer, and voice actor. He is best known for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series '' Family Guy''. He was a former executive producer and an occas ...
. The film features an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...
including MacFarlane,
Charlize Theron Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...
,
Amanda Seyfried Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...
,
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
, Giovanni Ribisi,
Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...
, and
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...
. The film follows a cowardly
frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...
sman who gains courage with the help of a female gunfighter and must use his newfound skills in a confrontation with her villainous outlaw husband. Development for ''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' began while MacFarlane and co-writers Sulkin and Wild were watching western movies during the development of '' Ted''. Casting was done between December 2012 and March 2013. Filming began on May 6, 2013, in various locations in
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...
including
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
and Santa Fe, and it concluded on August 9 that year.
Joel McNeely Joel McNeely (born March 28, 1959) is an American composer, arranger, musician, lyricist, and record producer. A protégé of composer Jerry Goldsmith, he is best known for his film and television scores. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Ou ...
composed the score. The film was released on May 30, 2014, in the United States, and distributed worldwide by
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with criticism for its length, screenplay, humor and Macfarlane's performance and directing. It was released on DVD and
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
on October 7, 2014, and earned more than $15 million in home media sales.


Plot

In 1882, in the town of Old Stump,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, timid
sheep farmer Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin an ...
Albert Stark's girlfriend Louise breaks up with him because of his refusal to defend himself in a duel. He prepares to migrate to
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
, believing that the
frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...
offers nothing for him. Meanwhile, infamous outlaw Clinch Leatherwood shoots and kills an old prospector over a single gold nugget. He orders his right-hand man, Lewis, to escort his wife Anna to Old Stump while he continues his banditry. Lewis and Anna arrive in Old Stump under the guise of two siblings intending to build a farm, but Lewis is arrested after shooting the pastor's son in a saloon fight. During the brawl, Albert saves Anna from being crushed to death, and the two become close friends. They attend a county fair where Louise's new boyfriend, the arrogant Foy, challenges Albert to a shooting contest. Albert loses, but Anna steps in and defeats Foy. Foy publicly humiliates Albert, who impulsively challenges Foy to a duel in a week's time to win back Louise. Anna then spends the week teaching Albert how to shoot. During a barn dance the night before the duel, Anna gives Foy a
Mickey Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bor ...
. After leaving the dance, Albert and Anna kiss before heading home. After breaking out of jail and murdering the sheriff, Lewis observes the kiss and reports it to Clinch. On the day of the duel, Foy arrives late and gets
diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin w ...
from the
laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
he had unknowingly drunk. Albert, who has decided that Louise is not worth fighting for, forfeits anyway. He retires to the saloon, but Clinch arrives and reveals that Anna is his wife, threatening to kill more people unless his wife's lover duels him the next day. Later, Clinch confronts Anna by demanding that she reveal Albert's name and his whereabouts, or he will kill her. Before he attempts to rape her, she knocks him unconscious with a rock and escapes. Anna returns to Albert's farm to warn him about Clinch, but he chastises her for lying to him. Clinch, having regained consciousness, tracks down Anna to the farm, but Albert helps her escape, then escapes himself. While fleeing, he is captured by a tribe of
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...
Indians, who threaten to burn him alive. The Apaches spare him when he reveals that he can speak their language. They give him a bowl of
peyote The peyote (; ''Lophophora williamsii'' ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains Psychoactive cactus, psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. ''Peyote'' is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (), meaning "caterpillar Pupa#Cocoo ...
, which sends him flashing back to his birth and through painful events of his childhood before a vision of Anna makes him realize he loves her. Meanwhile, Clinch recaptures Anna in town, but Albert returns to Old Stump and confronts him. He wounds Clinch with a bullet dipped in
rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small an ...
venom before his own gun is shot out of his hand but manages to stall until Clinch fatally succumbs to the poison. Louise attempts to win back Albert, but he rejects her and instead happily enters into a relationship with Anna, who becomes his new girlfriend. Albert also receives a bounty for killing Clinch and uses the money to buy more sheep. In a pre-credits scene, the proprietor of a
racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
shooting game called "Runaway Slave" at the fair asks who would like to take a shot. Django Freeman steps up and shoots the man while commenting that "people die at the fair".


Cast

*
Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series '' Family Guy'' (since 1999) and '' The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creat ...
as Albert Stark, a wimpy but kind-hearted sheepherder ** Mike Salazar as 6-year-old Albert **
Preston Bailey Preston Bailey (born July 25, 2000) is an American actor who started acting at the age of two. He is known for appearing in the Showtime television series ''Dexter'' and for starring in such films as '' Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer'', ' ...
as 12-year-old Albert *
Charlize Theron Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...
as Anna Barnes-Leatherwood, Clinch Leatherwood's rebellious wife, who befriends Albert *
Amanda Seyfried Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...
as Louise, Albert's unappreciative ex-girlfriend *
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...
as Clinch Leatherwood, a notorious
outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill th ...
and Anna's abusive husband * Giovanni Ribisi as Edward, a cobbler, Albert's best friend and Ruth's boyfriend *
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
as Foy, a rich, snobby Old Stump inhabitant and Louise's current boyfriend *
Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...
as Ruth, Edward's girlfriend and a
prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
* Christopher Hagen as George Stark, Albert's abusive father * Wes Studi as Chief Cochise, the leader of a band of Apache Indians *
Rex Linn Rex Maynard Linn (born November 13, 1956) is an American film and television actor. He is best known domestically for playing the role of Sgt. Frank Tripp in the CBS drama ''CSI: Miami'' and more recently for playing Kevin Wachtell in the televi ...
as the Sheriff/Narrator *
Alex Borstein Alexandrea Borstein (born February 15, 1971) is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer. Borstein voices Lois Griffin on the animated comedy television series '' Family Guy'' (1999–present), and won a Primetime Emmy Award for the role ...
as Millie, a madam at the local brothel where Ruth works *
Ralph Garman Ralph Garman (born November 17, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, saxophonist, drummer and radio host best known as the host of '' The Joe Schmo Show'', for his voice work on the Fox animated series '' Family Guy'', former entertainment rep ...
as Dan * John Aylward as Pastor Wilson *
Amick Byram Amick Byram (born January 24, 1955) is an American tenor, a recording artist and two-time Grammy nominee. A native of McLennan County, Texas, Byram is a well-known sessions artist in Los Angeles, California, He was best known for providing the sin ...
as Marcus Thornton * Evan Jones as Lewis, a ruthlessly violent gunman and Clinch Leatherwood's right-hand man * Dylan Kenin as Pastor's Son, who is killed by Lewis in the bar *
Matt Clark Matthew Clark is a United Kingdom-based drinks distributor. Matthew or Matt Clark may also refer to: *Mat Clark (born 1990), Canadian ice hockey defenceman *Matt Clark (actor) (born 1936), American actor and director *Matt Clark (baseball) (born 19 ...
as the Old Prospector, an unfortunate victim of Clinch's gang


Cameos

*
Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...
as Django Freeman (uncredited), who shoots the owner of the "Runaway Slave" game. The scene was added after test audiences reacted poorly to the shooting gallery's cartoon black slaves as targets. *
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
(''uncredited'') as a man Clinch kills in the saloon *
Tait Fletcher ''The Ultimate Fighter 3'' was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of '' Ultimate Fight Night 4''. The season featured six ...
as Cowboy #1 *
Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous r ...
as
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
, seen during Albert's drug trip. * Mike Henry as smiling man in photograph *
Dennis Haskins Dennis Haskins (born November 18, 1950) is an American actor known for his role as School principal, Principal Richard Belding in the teen situation comedy, sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'', which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star ...
as a snake oil salesman *
John Michael Higgins John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor and comedian whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's '' The Late Shift'', and a starring role in the American versio ...
as
Dandy A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance. A dandy could be a self-made man who strove to imitate an aristocratic lifestyle des ...
#1 *
Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
as Doc Brown, whom Albert stumbles upon working on the
DeLorean time machine In the ''Back to the Future'' franchise, the DeLorean time machine is a time travel device made by retrofitting a DMC DeLorean vehicle with a flux capacitor. The car requires 1.21 gigawatts ("jigawatts/jigowatts") of power and needs to travel 8 ...
*
Bill Maher William Maher (; born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk show '' Real Time with Bill Maher'' (2003–present) and the similar ...
as a traveling comedian *
Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
as a cowboy who mocks Albert at the fair *
Alec Sulkin Alexander Matthew Sulkin (born February 14, 1973) is an American screenwriter, producer, and voice actor known for his work on ''Family Guy'' and ''The Cleveland Show''. Career Sulkin began as a writer for '' The Late Late Show with Craig Kilbo ...
as guy at fair *
Rupert Boneham Rupert Frederick Boneham (; born January 27, 1964) is an American mentor for troubled teens, who became known to reality television audiences in 2003 as a contestant on '' Survivor: Pearl Islands'' where he placed eighth. He later appeared on the ...
as guy in bar fight * Kaley Cuoco (''uncredited'', unrated version only) as a woman that Albert tries to pick up in a store *
Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors ...
(''uncredited voice'') as a long-legged sheep seen during Albert's drug trip *
Mae Whitman Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She began acting in commercials as a child, making her film debut at the age of six in the romantic drama '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994). She achieved recognition as ...
as Prostitute * Jackamoe Buzzell as Another Cowboy


Production


Development

''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' originated as an inside joke between MacFarlane and co-writers Sulkin and Wild, while they were watching ''
Hang 'Em High ''Hang 'Em High'' is a 1968 American DeLuxe Color revisionist Western film directed by Ted Post and written by Leonard Freeman and Mel Goldberg. It stars Clint Eastwood as Jed Cooper, an innocent man who survives a lynching; Inger Stevens as ...
'' (1968). The joke evolved into "riffing on the idea of how dull, depressing, and dangerous it must have been to live in the Wild West." MacFarlane, a lifelong fan of westerns, began researching the topic, using Jeff Guinn's nonfiction novel, ''The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral—And How It Changed the American West'' as an "invaluable resource," and basis for many of the ways of dying in the film. Various aspects of the film were inspired by western films. The decision to make Albert a sheepherder was inspired by ''
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
'' (1950) and his average, non-confrontational demeanor by '' 3:10 to Yuma'' (1957). Other westerns that inspired MacFarlane and the crew during writing included ''
Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...
'' (1955), ''
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' () is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and James Stewart. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck was adapted from a 1953 short story written by ...
'' (1962), and ''
El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king ...
'' (1966). The film was first announced on December 3, 2012, marking MacFarlane's second foray into live-action directing, after 2012's '' Ted''.
Tippett Studio Tippett Studio is an American visual effects company specializing in computer-generated imagery (CGI) for films and television commercials. The studio has created visual effects and animations on over fifty feature films and commercials, garnerin ...
was hired to work on the film's visual effects.


Casting

On January 30, 2013, it was announced that
Charlize Theron Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...
had joined the film. Theron later revealed that she "begged" for her role, as she wanted the opportunity to work in comedy. On February 11, it was announced
Amanda Seyfried Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...
had joined the film. On March 6, it was announced
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...
and Giovanni Ribisi had joined the film. Neeson, who nearly always suppresses his
Irish accent Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
when acting, agreed to play the part of Clinch only on the condition that he could use his Irish accent. In an interview on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'', Neeson remarked that he made this demand because an episode of MacFarlane's ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...
'' had previously made a joke out of the juxtaposition of Neeson playing a cowboy with an Irish accent. On March 18, it was announced that
Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...
was cast to play a prostitute in the film. On May 10, it was announced that the film would be co-financed by
Media Rights Capital MRC II Distribution Company L.P., doing business as MRC (formerly Media Rights Capital), is an American film and television studio. Founded by Mordecai (Modi) Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, the company funds and produces film and television programming. ...
and
Fuzzy Door Productions Fuzzy Door Productions is an American film and television production company founded by Seth MacFarlane in 1998. The company's productions include animated series ''Family Guy'', ''American Dad!'', the ''Family Guy'' spinoff ''The Cleveland Show' ...
, along with
Bluegrass Films Scott Stuber (born December 13, 1968) is an American film producer and head of original films at Netflix. Career After graduating from University of Arizona with a film degree, Stuber worked at Universal Pictures as a publicity assistant to ...
and distributed by
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
. On May 11, 2013, it was announced that
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
had joined the film. On May 29, 2013, MacFarlane announced that
Bill Maher William Maher (; born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk show '' Real Time with Bill Maher'' (2003–present) and the similar ...
had joined the cast. On February 21, 2014, he announced that
Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous r ...
had also joined the cast.


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as ...
began on May 6, 2013. Filming locations included various areas in and around Albuquerque,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...
, also including the Santa Fe Studio in Santa Fe. Principal photography ended on August 9, 2013. The film shoot was difficult, as the cast and crew navigated rough weather: "everything from hailstorms to blistering heat to arctic winds and torrential rainstorms."


Soundtrack

The
score Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian ...
was composed by
Joel McNeely Joel McNeely (born March 28, 1959) is an American composer, arranger, musician, lyricist, and record producer. A protégé of composer Jerry Goldsmith, he is best known for his film and television scores. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Ou ...
. The soundtrack was released by Back Lot Music on May 27, 2014. The theme song "A Million Ways to Die" is performed by
Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many ...
. It was released as a single on April 29, 2014. A portion of the ''
Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'' theme by
Alan Silvestri Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an American composer and conductor of film and television scores. He has been associated with director Robert Zemeckis since 1984, composing music for all of his feature films including the ''Bac ...
is used during Christopher Lloyd's cameo. Near the end of the movie, the refrain of "
Tarzan Boy "Tarzan Boy" is the debut single by Italian-based act Baltimora. The song was written by Maurizio Bassi and Naimy Hackett, and released in 1985 as the lead single from Baltimora's debut album '' Living in the Background''. The song was re-rec ...
" by
Baltimora Baltimora was an Italian music project from Milan, active from 1984 to 1987. They are best known for their 1985 single " Tarzan Boy" and are often considered a one-hit wonder in the United Kingdom and the United States. In other European countri ...
is used as a fictional "Muslim Death Chant." ; Track listing


Release

On May 16, 2014, the film had its world premiere at the
Regency Village Theater The Fox Theatre, Westwood Village, also known as the Fox Village Theatre, is a historic, landmark cinema in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. Westwood Village, in the heart of Westwood, is near the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA. It ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
. The film was later released nationwide on May 30, 2014. The film was produced by
Media Rights Capital MRC II Distribution Company L.P., doing business as MRC (formerly Media Rights Capital), is an American film and television studio. Founded by Mordecai (Modi) Wiczyk and Asif Satchu, the company funds and produces film and television programming. ...
,
Fuzzy Door Productions Fuzzy Door Productions is an American film and television production company founded by Seth MacFarlane in 1998. The company's productions include animated series ''Family Guy'', ''American Dad!'', the ''Family Guy'' spinoff ''The Cleveland Show' ...
, and Bluegrass Films and distributed by
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
.


Marketing

On January 27, 2014, MacFarlane announced that he wrote a companion novel based on the film's script, which was released on March 4, 2014. An audio-book version was also made available, narrated by
Jonathan Frakes Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Commander William Riker in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and subsequent films and series. Frakes als ...
. MacFarlane wrote the book on weekends during shooting for the film, partially due to boredom.


Box office

''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' grossed $43.1 million in North America and $43.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $86.4 million, against its $40 million budget. The film grossed $16.8 million in its opening weekend, finishing in third place at the box office behind fellow newcomer ''
Maleficent Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
'' and the previous weekend's opener '' X-Men: Days of Future Past''. This was below expectations of $26 million. In its second weekend, the film dropped to number five, grossing an additional $7.3 million. In its third weekend, the film dropped to number eight, grossing $3.2 million. In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number 11, grossing $1.6 million.


Home media

''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' was released via DVD and
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
on October 7, 2014. The Blu-ray release contains an unrated version (135 minutes), along with the original theatrical cut (116 minutes). In the United States, the film has grossed $8,336,420 from DVD sales and $6,739,162 from Blu-ray sales, making a total of $15,075,582.


Reception


Critical response

''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
gave the film a 33% rating based on 211 reviews, with an average score of 4.90/10. The site's consensus states, "While it offers a few laughs and boasts a talented cast, Seth MacFarlane's overlong, aimless ''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' is a disappointingly scattershot affair." Another review aggregation website,
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, gave a score of 44 out of 100, based on reviews from 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by
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gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale; opening weekend demographics were 55% male and 72% over 25 years of age. Claudia Puig's review in ''
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'' was largely positive, writing, "A Western with a contemporary sensibility and dialogue that sounds markedly modern, ''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' is quintessential MacFarlane, at once silly and witty, juvenile and clever." Stephen Holden's review in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' was mainly neutral, calling the film "a live-action spinoff of ''
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'', with different characters." "While the whole thing feels weirdly miscalculated to me, ''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' tweaks the formula just enough, delivers a few laughs and keeps the guest stars coming," wrote
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columnist Andrew O'Hehir. Rafer Guzman of ''
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'' found the film amusing, calling it "another example of MacFarlane's ability to mix poop jokes with romance, foul language with sweet sentiment, offensive humor with boyish charm." Scott Mendelson of ''
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'' commended MacFarlane's decision to make an unconventional western comedy, but summarized the film as "just ambitious enough for that to be genuinely disappointing." Michael O'Sullivan at ''
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'' was mixed, deeming the film a "broad, wildly hit-or-miss satire," remarking that he found few of the jokes in the film funny. "Spiritually, it's closer to a mid-range crowd-pleaser such as '' City Slickers'' than ''
Blazing Saddles ''Blazing Saddles'' is a 1974 American satirical western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, who also wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Uger. The film stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilde ...
'', too enamoured of genre convention to reach for the comic dynamite," wrote Mike McCahill at ''
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''. Michael Phillips of the ''
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'' criticized MacFarlane's acting and direction as: "A failure of craft. He can't direct action, or even handle scenery well. He can't set up a visual joke properly without resorting to head-butting and bone-crunching, and he doesn't know how, or when, to move his camera. He's not good enough as a romantic lead to anchor a picture." Richard Corliss of ''
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'' called the film a "sagebrush comedy whose visual grandeur and appealing actors get polluted by some astonishingly lazy writing." Scott Foundas of ''
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'' found the film "overlong and uninspired," criticizing the film's "lazy writing," and MacFarlane's "surprisingly bland" comic performance. Rene Rodriguez of the ''
Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami. John DeFore of ''
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'' criticized the film's running time: "Though the film is hardly laugh-free, its uneven jokes appear to have breezed through a very forgiving editing process." Joe Morgenstern of ''
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'' too found the film's length "exhausting," noting, "Some of it sputters, settling for smiles instead of laughs, and much of it flounders while the slapdash script searches ..for ever more common denominators in toilet humor."


Accolades


References


External links


''A Million Ways to Die in the West''
at Universal Studios website * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Million Ways To Die In The West, A 2014 films 2010s Western (genre) comedy films American Western (genre) comedy films American satirical films Django films 2010s English-language films Films directed by Seth MacFarlane Films set in Arizona Films set in 1882 Films set in farms Films shot in New Mexico Fuzzy Door Productions films Media Rights Capital films Universal Pictures films Films scored by Joel McNeely Films produced by Scott Stuber American slapstick comedy films 2014 comedy films Films with screenplays by Seth MacFarlane Films produced by Seth MacFarlane Films about death American romantic comedy films 2010s American films