Wild West Timeline

(1865 - 1895)

The Wild West refers to the period of American westward expansion in the 19th century, marked by pioneers, cowboys, outlaws, gold rushes, railroads, and conflicts with Native American tribes. It was an era of rapid settlement, lawlessness, and cultural transformation that shaped the American frontier until its official closing around 1890. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Origins and Legal Matters

Setting four years after the Civil War

Jan 1, 1869

The film's story is set in 1869, four years after the end of the American Civil War, when U.S. government agents embark on a mission to protect President Ulysses S. Grant.

Locomotives appear in The Great Locomotive Chase

Jun 1, 1956

Both the William Mason and the Inyo, the locomotive used in the original television series, previously appeared in Disney's 1956 film The Great Locomotive Chase before being featured in Wild Wild West.

Gilbert Ralston approached by Michael Garrison

Jan 1, 1964

In a deposition, writer Gilbert Ralston explained that in 1964 producer Michael Garrison approached him saying he wanted to glue together the idea of a Western hero and a James Bond type in the same show, which became The Wild Wild West series.

Kevin Smith works on Superman Lives with Jon Peters

Jan 1, 1997

In a 2002 Q&A event, filmmaker Kevin Smith revealed that while writing Superman Lives in 1997, producer Jon Peters requested that Superman fight a gigantic spider in the third act, foreshadowing Peters' later insistence on a giant spider in Wild Wild West.

Gilbert Ralston sues Warner Bros

Jan 1, 1997

In 1997, writer Gilbert Ralston sued Warner Bros., claiming he deserved credit and compensation for having conceived the core idea behind the original Wild Wild West television series decades earlier.

Superman Lives production halted

Jan 1, 1998

Jon Peters halted production on Superman Lives in 1998. Ironically, Wild Wild West, which Peters produced alongside Sonnenfeld, featured a giant mechanical spider that Dr. Loveless piloted, echoing his earlier Superman request.

Image source: Wild Wild West

Gilbert Ralston dies before suit is settled

Jan 1, 1999

Gilbert Ralston died in 1999 before his lawsuit against Warner Bros. was settled, resulting in an outcome that left his claims unresolved regarding credit for creating the original series concept.

Kevin Smith discusses giant spider origin

Jan 1, 2002

At a Q&A event on An Evening with Kevin Smith in 2002, filmmaker Kevin Smith talked about working on Superman Lives in 1997, revealing that producer Jon Peters had requested Superman fight a gigantic spider — a request that resurfaced in Wild Wild West's mechanical spider.

Film Production

Western town set built for Silverado

Jan 1, 1985

The Western town film set at the Cook Movie Ranch (now Cerro Pelon Ranch) near Santa Fe, New Mexico was used for the 1985 film Silverado, and would later host much of the filming of Wild Wild West.

Warner Bros. begins developing the film

Jan 1, 1992

Development for the Wild Wild West film began in 1992, when Warner Bros. first started working on adapting the classic television series for the big screen.

Variety reports on the project

Jan 1, 1992

Variety first reported in January 1992 that Warner Bros. was developing a film adaptation of The Wild Wild West television series, marking one of the earliest public notices of the project.

Donner and Gibson leave for Maverick

Jan 1, 1994

Director Richard Donner and actor Mel Gibson left the Wild Wild West project to work on Maverick in 1994, another film based on a Western television series, delaying the adaptation.

Tom Cruise rumored for lead role

Jan 1, 1995

After Donner and Gibson left the project, it continued in the development stage at Warner Bros., with Tom Cruise rumored for the lead role in 1995.

Sonnenfeld and Smith come aboard

Feb 1, 1997

Discussions with Will Smith and Barry Sonnenfeld began in February 1997 after the two had wrapped up production on Men in Black for Columbia Pictures, bringing them aboard the Wild Wild West project.

Wilson and Maddock hired to script the film

Apr 1, 1997 - May 31, 1997

Screenwriters Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman aside, Wilson and Brent Maddock were hired by the studio to script the film between April and May 1997 as development continued.

Principal photography originally slated for January

Jan 1, 1998

Principal photography on Wild Wild West was initially set to begin in January 1998 but was pushed back three months due to production preparations and scheduling issues.

Principal photography begins

Apr 22, 1998

Principal photography began on April 22, 1998, after being delayed three months from its original January start date. Much of the footage was shot around Santa Fe, New Mexico, particularly at the Western town set at the Cook Movie Ranch (now Cerro Pelon Ranch).

Music and Media

Kool Moe Dee records "Wild Wild West"

Jan 1, 1987

Old-school rapper Kool Moe Dee recorded his own single titled "Wild Wild West" in 1987. He later reperformed the chorus from this song as the chorus of Will Smith's theme song for the 1999 film.

Performance at the 1999 MTV Movie Awards

Jun 1, 1999

A performance of the song by Smith, Kool Moe Dee, Dru Hill and Sisqo at the 1999 MTV Movie Awards also included Stevie Wonder performing a reprise of the chorus on piano.

Soundtrack released by Interscope Records

Jun 15, 1999

A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on June 15, 1999 by Interscope Records and Overbrook Music, featuring Will Smith's title track produced by Rob Fusari, who lifted a sample from Stevie Wonder's 1976 hit "I Wish".

Wild Wild West: The Steel Assassin released

Dec 7, 1999

An action-adventure video game titled Wild Wild West: The Steel Assassin was developed and released by SouthPeak Interactive on December 7, 1999, almost six months following the film's release.

Release and Reception

Wild Wild West released theatrically

Jun 30, 1999

Released theatrically in the United States on June 30, 1999 and produced on a $170 million budget, making it one of the most expensive films ever made when adjusting for inflation at the time of its release, Wild Wild West debuted alongside South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.

Critical failure upon release

Jun 30, 1999

Upon release, Wild Wild West was widely panned by critics, who criticized its script, humor, special effects, and direction, cementing its reputation as one of the most disappointing blockbusters of 1999.

Box office underperforms against budget

Jul 1, 1999 - Oct 10, 1999

Wild Wild West proved a commercial failure, grossing only $113.8 million domestically and $108.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $222.1 million against its $170 million production budget.

Theatrical run ends

Oct 10, 1999

The film ended its theatrical run on October 10, 1999 after five months, having grossed $113,804,681 domestically and $108,300,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $222,104,681, making it commercially unsuccessful.

VHS and DVD release

Nov 30, 1999

The film was released on VHS and DVD on November 30, 1999, allowing home audiences to view the steampunk Western comedy following its disappointing theatrical run.

LaserDisc release

Dec 28, 1999

The film was released on LaserDisc on December 28, 1999, less than a month after its VHS and DVD debut, during the final years of the LaserDisc format.

Ranked among worst films of the 20th century

Jan 1, 2000

Wild Wild West ranked #2 in the Stinkers' "100 Years, 100 Stinkers" list noting the 100 worst films of the 20th century, losing only to Battlefield Earth.

Blu-ray release

May 29, 2011

The film was released on Blu-ray on May 29, 2011, more than a decade after its theatrical debut, giving the movie a high-definition home video edition.

Key Facts

The California Gold Rush of 1849 drew hundreds of thousands of settlers westward, fueling massive migration and settlement.
The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 dramatically shortened travel times and accelerated westward expansion.
Famous outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid became legendary symbols of frontier lawlessness during this era.
The Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 was a major Native American victory against U.S. forces led by General George Custer.
The U.S. Census Bureau declared the frontier closed in 1890, marking the symbolic end of the Wild West era.

Source

This Wild West timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free