Val Kilmer, who plays Mark Twain, in this film, has long been known for having a Mark Twain "obsession." Since before this film debuted, he has been performing a one-man Mark Twain show, similar to Hal Holbrook's, which has also been filmed. He has also long been working on a film about the conflict between Mark Twain and religious leader Mary Baker Eddy, which has yet to be released (as of 2021).
Was filmed in 2011
Like many film adaptations of the "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," the version reworks the title to include a reference to Tom's popular friend. Only a couple of scenes, including the brief scene at the end with the slave Jim, are inspired by the sequel novel focused on Huck.
The movie was first screened 11/8/2013 in Santa Monica, California, at the American Film Market, an annual venue where independent filmmakers try to attract distributors to buy rights to distribute their films.
Features the final film appearance of actress Christina Kaufman.