Everything you need to know about 'Horizon,' Kevin Costner's upcoming Western epic that he gave up his role on 'Yellowstone' to make
- Kevin Costner is directing, cowriting, producing, and starring in a Western franchise titled "Horizon: An American Saga."
- Two films will be released next summer, but Costner intends to make four.
- The "Yellowstone" star invested $20 million and mortgaged his home to bring the project to screens.
"Horizon: An American Saga" is finally on the horizon.
The multi-film franchise that actor and director Kevin Costner has developed on and off for the best part of his career will debut its first two chapters in theaters in 2024, with two more expected to follow.
Set against the backdrop of Civil War-ravaged America, "Horizon" sits firmly in the Western genre and is expected to be a massive hit with the loyal audience Costner cultivated from his role on Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."
Earlier this year, while being questioned on the stand as part of a child support hearing following his separation from his wife Christine Baumgartner, Costner detailed how he ultimately decided to bet it all on "Horizon" when he realized pursuing the project and continuing with his commitments on "Yellowstone" wasn't going to be possible.
The 68-year-old testified that filming the most-watched show in America twice a year wouldn't allow him to work on his Western epic, which he is cowriting, producing, directing, and starring in.
So despite winning a Golden Globe for his performance earlier this year, Costner decided to hang up his spurs as John Dutton to tell his cowboy story.
Here's everything you need to know about the project.
In a May interview with Deadline, the actor-director revealed the idea for the film came to him in the '80s and was initially commissioned before his multi-Academy Award-winning directorial debut, "Dances With Wolves."
Costner said at the time he "couldn't get anybody to make it," so he shelved it. According to the actor, an opportunity to bring the story to the screen presented itself again in the early 2000s shortly after the release of "Open Range" when Disney expressed interest, but "a $5 million difference kept them from making" it.
"Eight years later, I started thinking about the story, started writing with a partner, and it ended up being four screenplays," he said. "So I reverse-engineered everything from 1988. I thought it was really good. But I still couldn't get anybody to make it."
Ultimately, Costner decided to finance the film, after which Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema joined the production as distributors.
In the same Deadline feature, Costner admitted to taking out a mortgage on a rather sizable property to fund his passion project.
"I've mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house," he said. "But I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a fucking conniption fit. But it's my life, and I believe in the idea and the story."
In court documents seen by Insider related to his recent acrimonious divorce from Baumgartner, Costner shared that in 2022, he "contributed $20 million" toward the film series' budget. He also stated that he had deferred his salary for the film.
Costner used his money to back his films such as "Dances with Wolves" and "The Postman." While the former became a huge success, taking home $424 million at the box office on a budget of $22 million (Costner contributed $3 million), the same can't be said for the latter. "The Postman," which he backed with an undisclosed sum, was a notable failure at the box office, returning only $17.6 million on a budget of more than $85 million.
"Horizon: An American Saga" will not only see Costner return to the director's chair but to a subject matter he has explored in his filmography: Civil War-era America.
The films, co-written by Costner and Jon Baird, will depict "the lure of the Old West and how it was won -- and lost -- through the blood, sweat and tears of many," according to a synopsis.
"Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner's ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America."
Speaking to Variety in 2022, Costner said the story focuses on women, and the female characters "are really strong."
"It involves women trying to get by in a world that was impossibly tough," he added.
Details on the characters that cast members will be playing remain a mystery for now, as the film's synopsis doesn't mention any individual characters. Instead, it states that the film's depiction of America in the 19th century will be "experienced through the eyes of many."
And many names are attached to "Horizon: An American Saga." Costner told Variety in 2022 that he was casting for the films and "trying to fill up" 170 speaking roles.
It's now been announced that Costner will appear in the film alongside Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, and Luke Wilson.
Also in the cast are Jamie Campbell Bower, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jeff Fahey, Will Patton, Tatanka Means, Owen Crow Shoe, and Ella Hunt.
"Horizon: An American Saga" chapters one and two will open in cinemas on June 28, 2024, and August 16, 2024.
In court documents obtained by Insider, Costner stated that he planned to release the first film theatrically before the end of 2023, but that was before the SAG-AFTRA strike was announced.
It's likely that the actor's strike, combined with the complications of his divorce, is why the film is being released in 2024 instead.
Costner also stated that he wanted to show the first film at a film festival, so we may see "Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1" and "Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2" in the line-up at one of next year's early festivals.
While only two films have been announced, Costner has been vocal about his plans to tell "Horizon" across four feature-length films, but as of October 2023, only two have been shot so far.
Filming for the third chapter was put on an indefinite pause due to the dual actors and writers strikes, according to The Hollywood Reporter.