<Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $18.6 million </Td> </Tr> <P> The Quick and the Dead is a 1995 American western film directed by Sam Raimi, and starring Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio . The screenplay was written by Simon Moore but includes contributions from Joss Whedon . The story focuses on "The Lady" (Stone), a gunfighter who rides into the frontier town of Redemption, controlled by John Herod (Hackman). The Lady joins a deadly dueling competition in an attempt to exact revenge for her father's death . </P> <P> Simon Moore's script was purchased by Sony Pictures Entertainment in May 1993, and actress Sharon Stone signed on as both star and co-producer . Development was fast tracked after director Sam Raimi's hiring, and principal photography began in Old Tucson Studios in Arizona on November 21, 1993 . The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures and was released in the US on February 10, 1995, to a dismal box office performance, receiving lukewarm reviews from critics . </P> <P> This was Russell Crowe's American film debut . This was Woody Strode's final performance (the film is dedicated to him), as well as the last theatrical release of Roberts Blossom who died in 2011 . The phrase "the quick and the dead" is from the Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Timothy 4: 1) in various Bible versions, including the King James Bible, describing the final judgment . The plot of this film bears no resemblance to that of the 1987 film of the same name, which was based on a western novel by Louis L'Amour . </P>

Who is the first person to speak to ellen as she rides into redemption