After the release of The Shootist (1976), John Wayne saw Ron Howard at a party and told him "I have this movie for the both of us. It's you and me or nobody." Howard stated that one of his great regrets in life was John Wayne not living to do this movie. Ricky Schroder plays the part intended for Howard.
John Carpenter originally wrote this for John Wayne, who was going to do it, but ill health prevented him. When it was finally made, years later, Wilford Brimley played the part meant for John Wayne.
This was one of John Carpenter's first scripts. In an interview with the UK magazine "Films and Filming" in the late 70s, he said that he had desperately wanted to cast John Wayne and Elvis Presley in the two leads.