Editing Unforgiven (section)

==Production==

=== Development ===
The film was written by [[David Peoples|David Webb Peoples]], who had written the Oscar-nominated film ''[[The Day After Trinity]]'' and co-written ''[[Blade Runner]]'' with [[Hampton Fancher]].{{sfn|McGilligan|1999|p=467}} The concept for the film dated to 1976, when it was developed under the titles ''The Cut-Whore Killings'' and ''The William Munny Killings''.{{sfn|McGilligan|1999|p=467}} The script was originally optioned by [[Francis Ford Coppola]], who failed to raise the money to develop the project any further.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cinephiliabeyond.org/unforgiven-clint-eastwoods-eulogy-man-no-name-anti-western-masterpiece/ | title='Unforgiven': Clint Eastwood's Eulogy for the Man with No Name in His Anti-Western Masterpiece • Cinephilia & Beyond | date=September 12, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-05-ca-512-story.html | title=Q&A; WITH DAVID WEBB PEOPLES : A Reluctant Hollywood Hero | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=October 5, 1992 }}</ref>

By Eastwood's own recollection, he was given the script in the "early 80s", although he did not immediately pursue it, because according to him, "I thought I should do some other things first".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whittey |first=Stephen |date=June 13, 2014 |title=Clint Eastwood on 'Jersey Boys,' taking risks and a life well lived |work=[[NJ.com]] |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/06/jersey_boys_clint_eastwood_director_four_seasons.html |access-date=October 10, 2015 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208194123/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/06/jersey_boys_clint_eastwood_director_four_seasons.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1984, Sonia Chernus, Eastwood's long time story editor at Malpaso Productions, sent him a scathing memo after reading the script stating that "it doesn't deserve my time or yours" and is "an insult to this company" and that Eastwood should "get rid of it FAST".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archive |first=Clint's |date=2021-09-25 |title=The Clint Eastwood Archive: Internal memo from January 1984 concerning Unforgiven |url=https://theclinteastwoodarchive.blogspot.com/2021/09/internal-memo-from-january-1984.html |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=The Clint Eastwood Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-12 |title=The career-defining movie Clint Eastwood was told not to make |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/career-defining-movie-clint-eastwood-told-not-make/ |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Casting ===
Eastwood personally phoned Harris to offer him the role of English Bob, and later said Harris was watching Eastwood's movie ''[[High Plains Drifter]]'' at the time of the phone call, leading to Harris thinking it was a prank.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywood.com/general/richard-harris-was-watching-eastwood-film-when-director-offered-him-unforgiven-role-60238377/ |title=Richard Harris was watching Eastwood film when director offered him Unforgiven role |date=March 17, 2015 |access-date=October 7, 2021 |work=[[Hollywood.com]]}}</ref>

Gene Hackman was hesitant to play Bill Daggett, as his daughters were upset that he was starring in too many violent films, but his agent and Eastwood convinced him to do it.<ref>{{cite web |title=CNN.com Transcripts |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/lkl/date/2004-07-07/segment/01 |website=CNN.com |access-date=28 February 2025|archive-date=February 28, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250228013928/https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/lkl/date/2004-07-07/segment/01|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2017/07/30/gene-hackman-initially-turned-down-unforgiven-which-turns-25-on-thursday/ | title=Gene Hackman initially turned down Unforgiven,' which turns 25 on Thursday | website=[[New York Daily News]] | date=July 30, 2017 }}</ref>

=== Filming ===
Filming took place between August 26, 1991, and November 12, 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Miscellaneous Notes |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18386/unforgiven#notes |access-date=September 20, 2015 |website=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=A Time Warner Company |archive-date=February 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225205809/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18386/Unforgiven/misc-notes.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Much of the film was shot in [[Alberta]] in August 1991 by director of photography [[Jack N. Green|Jack Green]].{{sfn|McGilligan|1999|p=469}} Production designer [[Henry Bumstead]], who had worked with Eastwood on ''High Plains Drifter'', was hired to create the "drained, wintry look" of the Western.{{sfn|McGilligan|1999|p=469}} The railroad scenes were filmed on the [[Sierra Railroad]] in [[Tuolumne County, California]].<ref>{{cite book | last =Jensen | first =Larry | authorlink = | title =Hollywood's Railroads: Sierra Railroad | publisher =Cochetopa Press | series = | volume = Two| edition = | date =2018 | location =Sequim, Washington | pages =2–65 | language = | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=c-RNswEACAAJ&q=Hollywood%27s+Railroads | doi = | id = | isbn =9780692064726 | mr = | zbl = | jfm = }}</ref>