Everything you need to know about Kevin Costner’s Horizon movies

Throughout his long career as a movie star, few people have bet bigger on themselves than Kevin Costner. Dances With Wolves seemed like the kind of bloated vanity project that many Hollywood stars engage in, but it was widely acclaimed and ultimately won Best Picture. Now, Costner is betting big on himself again with a new multipart western called Horizon. The project also stars Costner, and it seems designed to revive the big-budget Western. Costner is doing this instead of an apparent sixth season of Yellowstone, which he’s been starring in for several years.

“It’s really been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s exactly what I want to do,” Costner explained in 2022 during an interview with People. Costner is gambling on this return to the big screen, but what do we actually know about the massive, multipart endeavor?

What is the release date for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1?

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 arrived in theaters on June 28, 2024.

What is the plot of Horizon?

While we know that these Horizon movies are Westerns, the actual details of their plots remain mostly a mystery. According to the movie’s official plot description, it “explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won — and lost — through the blood, sweat, and tears of many. 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.”

Costner is, of course, no stranger to Westerns as a genre. Dances With Wolves, his most successful prior directorial effort, fit squarely in that genre. “A lot of times, we measure ourselves against other generations,” he told People in 2022. “I think about what was at stake. How did people survive? There’s a rawness and an unpredictability about it. I’m haunted by that.”

Costner and Jon Baird co-wrote the movie’s script.

Who is in the cast for Horizon?

Horizon has a massive ensemble cast that includes Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, Ella Hunt, Will Patton, Thomas Haden Church, Isabelle Fuhrman, Michael Rooker, Glynn Turman, Kathleen Quinlan, and Giovanni Ribisi. Individual roles have not been described in much detail, however, so it’s unclear how big any of these actors’ parts will be.

The movie will also co-star Costner’s son, Hayes. “He’s very good,” Costner told People. “Hayes plays the namesake character that I actually play in the movie. He’s 13 years old, and the screenplay’s been around longer than that.”

Is there a trailer for Horizon?

Horizon: An American Saga | Trailer 1

A full trailer for Horizon: An American Saga was released on February 26 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The trailer is over three minutes long, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of concrete plot details. Instead, we get a sense of the story’s epic scope and of the broad ensemble that Costner has assembled to pull it off.

The general impression, though, is that Horizon will be an old-fashioned Western that leans into the idea of heroes and villains. It’s also unclear exactly how much of the footage in the film is lifted from the first part.

Horizon: An American Saga | Official Trailer #2

Warner Bros. Pictures released a second trailer for Horizon: An American Saga on May 17. The footage features Costner’s Hayes Ellison getting into several shootouts and fistfights as he travels to the town of Horizon. The explosive trailer includes visuals of the sweeping landscapes across the Old West as the fight for expansion intensifies.

How long is Horizon: An American Saga?

Horizon: An American Saga is believed to be around 11 hours spread across four films. Chapter 1’s runtime is hovering around three hours. However, Costner told Deadline in May 2024 that the final runtime of Chapter 1 has not been finalized.

“I screened this movie [Chapter 1] at 3:15[thre hours and 15 minutes],” Costner said about Chapter 1’s runtime. “First one was 3:52 and at first I didn’t know how to get five minutes out of that. Then I took it to 3:29, then 3:24, then I got it to 3:15. I screened that in Vegas, and then got down to 3:06. I didn’t think it had an inch more to go. Then I dropped beneath three hours. Got to 2:50, now I’m at 2:45, but I’m going to put some back.”

This has long been a passion project for Costner

As he hinted at when explaining that his son was actually younger than the script for this movie, Horizon has been in the works for a long time. On top of that, Costner has also made it clear that he is willing to put his own money up to finance the project.

“I’ve mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house,” the star told Deadline in 2023, “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.”

Costner said that the beginnings of this came all the way back in the 1980s.

“I commissioned this story in 1988. Single movie, two-hander. A conventional Western with a beginning, middle, and end. I couldn’t get anybody to make it,” he told Deadline. “Eight years later, I started thinking about the story, started writing with a partner, and it ended up being four screenplays. So, I reverse-engineered everything from 1988. I thought it was really good. But I still couldn’t get anybody to make it. … I don’t know why, but I have not let go of this one. I’ve pushed it into the middle of the table three times in my career and didn’t blink. This is my fourth.”

Costner also made it clear that he won’t be taking this approach again and that he’s deferred all his payments from this part of the film — he basically did it for free.

“I gamble on the love of story. I’m gambling on people, in a sense. I can’t make them go to the theater, but if they get there, I’m going to try to take care of them the best I possibly can,” he explained.

Costner invested $38M of his own money to co-finance Horizon

It’s no secret that Costner invested his own money to co-finance Horizon: An American Saga. The rumored number was $20 million. However, Costner told GQ that the $20 million was well below the actual number.

“I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie,” Costner said. “It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number.”

Horizon: An American Saga to premiere at Cannes 2024

Costner is bringing Horizon: An American Saga to France for its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Chapter 1 will be screened out of competition on Sunday, May 19. “Horizon, An American Saga is a story that began 35 years ago, and I can’t think of a better place than Cannes to reveal to the world the result of such a wonderful adventure,” Costner said about having his Western at Cannes.

In a perfect world, Costner told Deadline that he’d like to screen Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 at the Venice Film Festival. However, Costner understands the festival may turn him down because he brought Chapter 1 to Cannes. Regardless, Costner wants to return to a future Cannes Film Festival with Chapter 3.

Kevin Costner plans to start filming Chapter 3 in May 2024

Before Chapter 1 arrives in theaters, Costner began filming for Chapter 3 in May 2024. Costner planned to start earlier, but the Oscar winner could not secure the necessary financing.

“I wanted to start April 25th, but I’ve got to find the money,” Costner told Deadline in a May 13 interview. “I wanted to start May 6th, but I needed to find the money. I’ve moved myself to May 13th, and I’m going to start my movie. I don’t give a shit now. I’m just going to start it.”

Costner plans to continue filming on Chapter 3 in August 2024. There is no word on when Chapter 4 will start filming. However, Costner plans to make a fourth film to wrap up the saga.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 has a mediocre critics score on Rotten Tomatoes

After the Cannes premiere, Chapter 1 opened to a 30% critic score on the Tomatometer via Rotten Tomatoes. That number has since risen to the mid-40s. Because of Costner’s strong following, the audience score is certified fresh at 71%.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 disappoints at the box office 

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 hits theaters on June 28, and early box office predictions have not been promising. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chapter 1 was expected to gross just over $10 million domestically during the opening weekend. Considering the first two films have a combined budget of around $100 million, a $10 million opening isn’t ideal.

Now that the dust has settled, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 grossed $11 million in its opening weekend, a misfire for a film with a large budget. After a disappointing opening weekend, Costner’s spirits remain high despite the uncertain future for his four-part epic.

“I’ve lived with movies and what happens to them on their opening weekend,” Costner told Entertainment Weekly.“If we put so much pressure on that, we’re bound to be disappointed. I’m really happy that Horizon looks like what it’s supposed to look like, and that’s the way it’ll look the rest of its life. And that’s really important to me in this process. Would I love that it would be highly, highly successful? Of course, I’d like that. My ego would like that; everyone would like that. But I am happiest that the movie that you and I are talking about looks the way I want it to look.”

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 digital release date

Unfortunately for Costner, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is not making a noteworthy impact on the summer box office. How will the movie play at home? We will find out soon enough as Chapter 1 arrives on digital services starting July 16, 2024.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 pulled from release calendar

Horizon had a risky release schedule planned, with Chapter 1 bowing on June 28 and Chapter 2 coming on August 16. That will not be the case anymore as New Line Cinema and Costner have pulled Chapter 2 from its August 16 release date. It will now premiere at a later date. The box office failure and the need for more time for audiences to see Chapter 1 affected the decision to pull Chapter 2 from the August date. Costner’s production company, Territory Pictures, released a statement about the date change.

“The audience response to Horizon, and enthusiasm for seeing our story continue in Horizon 2, has been incredibly gratifying. Kevin made this film for people who love movies and who wanted to go on a journey,” Territory Pictures said. “The support that we have received from film fans, and the theater owners, as they experience the first chapter of this saga only serves to reinforce our belief in them and the films that we have made, and we thank them for coming on board for the ride. We welcome the opportunity for that window to be expanded as we know it will only serve to enhance the experience of seeing Horizon 2.”