In a Valley of Violence

The film was written and directed by Ti West, in collaboration with Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures.[6][7] West also served as a producer for the project, alongside Blum, Jacob Jaffke and Peter Phok.[8] In July 2014, Blum discussed his involvement with the film, "After Ethan [Hawke] and I did Sinister and The Purge, he really, really wanted to do a Western ... It took about a year to find In a Valley of Violence ... which is Ti West's movie." He added that what drew him to the project was his love of West's approach to filmmaking.[9] In March 2016, West revealed in an interview he had written the role with Hawke in mind.[10]

On March 18, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter announced that the film would star John Travolta and Ethan Hawke in main roles,[6] with Hawke portraying the film's protagonist Paul, and Travolta portraying the Marshal Clyde Martin,[11] who has a wooden leg.[12] On May 22, 2014, Deadline Hollywood reported that Taissa Farmiga had been cast as Mary-Anne, a young innkeeper.[13] The following day, Karen Gillan was cast as Ellen, the sister of Farmiga's character.[14] On June 3, 2014, it was announced that James Ransone had been cast in the final main role of Deputy Gilly Martin, the fiancé of Ellen and the son of the Marshal.[15]

While promoting the film, West spoke about finding a "talented" dog to fill the role of Abbie, Paul's canine companion.[16] The part was given to Jumpy, whose trainer, Omar von Muller, also trained Uggie, the late star of The Artist (2011).[17]

Principal photography for the project began on June 23, 2014, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and lasted approximately five weeks, 25 days in total.[18] The film was shot on 35mm film.[19] A makeshift Western town was built at Cerro Pelon Ranch in Galisteo, New Mexico for the duration of production and was used as the primary location for filming.[12] The elaborate set consisted of a saloon, ramshackle houses, train tracks and a feed-and-seed store.[12] The film's cinematographer, Eric Robbins, revealed that since they were shooting on film, footage wouldn't be seen for several days.[20] Travolta finished filming his scenes on July 16, 2014.[21] Gillan wrapped her scenes on July 18,[22] and Farmiga completed her scenes the following day, on July 19, 2014.[23] On July 26, 2014, Ti West announced on his Twitter account that principal photography for the film had concluded.[24]

West edited the film in Burbank, California. On September 8, 2014, West appeared on Bret Easton Ellis' podcast and discussed the filming process of In a Valley of Violence, stating, "It's a Western from the first shot, so I'm really interested to hear people calling it slow burn ... It's a Western from frame one to the end frame, so there's no 'and then it became a Western' – it's always a Western. And that's kind of refreshing for me to make. It's just been artistically a pleasure to do."[25] On April 22, 2015, a raw cut of the film was test screened at the ArcLight cinema in Pasadena, California.[26] In late September 2015, West stated on his official Twitter account that the film was in the final stages of post-production.[27][28]

On August 17, 2015, the first still image from the film was released in black and white, featuring Ethan Hawke riding a horse.[32] Two more images were released on February 25, 2016, along with a more detailed plot synopsis.[33] In March 2016, the first poster for the film was released by Entertainment Weekly, shortly before its world premiere.[34] The first clip from the film, featuring Hawke and Travolta, was released in July 2016, ahead of its screening at the Fantasia International Film Festival.[35] The official trailer debuted on Entertainment Weekly's website on July 19, 2016.[36]

In a Valley of Violence had its world premiere as a headlining film at South by Southwest on March 12, 2016.[4] The film screened at the Chicago Critics Film Festival on May 25, 2016, followed by a Q&A with West,[37] and the Seattle International Film Festival on May 28, 2016.[38] Prior to its premiere, Focus World acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, with Universal Pictures set to distribute internationally.[39][1]

The film was released in the United States, in a limited release and through video on demand, on October 21, 2016.[40] It was initially reported that the film would be released on September 16.[41]

In a Valley of Violence was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on December 27, 2016, with special features including a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.[42]

The film was released for streaming on Netflix in October 2020.[43]

In a Valley of Violence was released to 33 theaters across the United States on October 21, 2016,[44] and made $10,722 in its first day of release.[45] In its opening weekend, the film made $29,343, for a per theater average of $889.[46] Overall, the film made $61,797 in the United States, taking $44,738 in its first week, and $17,059 in its second and final week of release.[3]

The film received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 77% approval rating, based on 71 reviews, with a weighted average of 6.79/10. The critical consensus reads, "In a Valley of Violence offers a smartly conceived homage to classic Westerns that transcends pastiche with absurdist humor and a terrific cast."[47] Metacritic reports a score of 64 out of 100, based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[48]

Andrew Barker for Variety wrote, "Stripping its gunslinger plot down to the most essential pillars, the film has plenty of incidental pleasures to offer: a few chuckles, some typically Westian explosions of violence, a deliriously fun score, and a pair of perfectly solid performances from Ethan Hawke and John Travolta."[49] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter, who in his review praised the performance of Hawke but found Travolta miscast, wrote of the film, "A genre revival that's always enjoyable, even when suffering a minor personality crisis near the end."[50] Bill Goodykoontz of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "... what makes In a Valley of Violence a notch better than a simple genre exercise is West's sense of fun. Occasionally he overindulges it, but it serves the film well."[51]