The Alamo (2004 film)

Directed by : John Lee Hancock
Produced by : Ron Howard, Mark Johnson
Written by : Leslie Bohem, Stephen Gaghan, John Lee Hancock
Starring : Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson, Emilio Echevarría, Jordi Mollà, Leon Rippy, Tom Davidson, with Marc Blucas, and Robert Prentiss
Music by :Carter Burwell
Cinematography : John O'Connor, Dean Semler
Editing by : Eric L. Beason
Distributed by : Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s) : April 9, 2004
Running time : 137 min.
Language : English
Budget : $95 million

The Alamo is a 2004 movie, a second major studio film about the legendary Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution, that was shot and scheduled for release initially in December 2003 and then rescheduled for release in April 2004. This remake was directed by native Texan John Lee Hancock, and produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson. Its script is credited to Hancock, John Sayles, Stephen Gaghan and Leslie Bohem. Its production budget was $95,000,000. It was produced and distributed by Touchstone Pictures.

It was shot near Austin, Texas between January and June 2003, mostly on a local property named Reimers Ranch. The film's art direction devoted the greatest care to historical accuracy and verisimilitude; for instance, the mission's facade does not feature the well-known "hump" at the top, a detail that was actually added years after the battle during a restoration.

In contrast to the earlier 1960 film, the 2003 script makes an effort to depict the political points of view of both the Mexican and Texan sides. Santa Anna is featured as a much more prominent character.

The cast includes Billy Bob Thornton as a demythologized (but still eccentric and strong-willed) Davy Crockett, Jason Patric as James Bowie, stage actor Patrick Wilson as Travis, Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston, Emilio Echevarría as Santa Anna, and Jordi Molla as Seguin.

The film was highly unsuccessful at the box office, opening on Easter weekend to mostly middling reviews and a low box office turnout. In its first weekend, it was defeated in box office numbers by a resurgent The Passion of the Christ. It cost over $140 million USD to make and market the film but earned only $9.1 million USD in its first weekend. By its second month of release, the film had yet to muster $30 million USD in domestic earnings. It ended its theatrical run with a worldwide gross of slightly less than $26 million [1].

The film was originally set up with Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard in the director's chair and producing partner Brian Grazer taking on producing duties. Russell Crowe was originally set as Sam Houston, Ethan Hawke as William Barret Travis and Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett. But there were financial and creative disagreements between Imagine and Disney, particularly with Howard wanting a $200 million budget. Disney rejected Imagine's proposal for the film which in turn, Howard, Grazer, Crowe and Hawke left the project. Disney opted to go with director John Lee Hancock and the budget was at $95 million. Thornton was the only one to remain throughout the project.
Yet again, William Travis and Jim Bowie are portrayed as constantly arguing, while, in actuality, they only argued twice.
No flag was seen flying from the Alamo in this film. Given the debate as to precisely what flag was flying (Travis' famous letter made reference to a flag, but not its description), it is possible that it was safer in the name of accuracy not to have one flying.
Many of the extras that took part in the film were actual descendants of the Alamo defenders.

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