To fully understand some things, it’s best to go back to the beginning, and that seems to be the case with Kevin Costner‘s sweeping Western project Horizon: An American Saga, which was originally billed as a four-film saga. It begins with Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, which will soon begin streaming video on demand on Prime Video later this month. The Western first made its debut at the world premiere at the 2024 Cannes International Film Festival on May 19, 2024, and things went south pretty fast, as the film was slapped with damning reviews. With a production budget of $100 million prior to marketing costs, it was disappointing when Horizon Chapter 1 earned $29 million domestically and $9.8 million internationally for a worldwide box office total of $38.8 million.
Co-written, directed, and starring Costner, the first Horizon movie would quickly pivot to digital streaming via premium video on demand less than three weeks after its premiere in July 2024. However, the damage to the project, which was originally planned to chronicle the expansion of the American West before and after the Civil War over a 15-year period, was already done. The planned August 16, 2024, release of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 was pulled from the calendar and still hasn’t been seen by the vast majority of the movie-viewing public.
Chapter 2 was seen by a small audience at film festivals, and the bad reviews persisted with the second installment. So what is actually happening with Costner’s Horizon? According to a new report, a Warner Bros. source, the studio charged with domestic distribution has shared that a 2026 release in theaters for the second Horizon film is presently “not in the plans” at the studio. The Horizon project is “frozen” in place largely due to the legal issues the film’s director and star, Costner, is embroiled in. On the one hand, Costner was sued for allegedly failing to pay over $350K in costume rentals on Chapter 2, while in a separate suit, a stunt double has sued the filmmakers for sexual harassment in an assault scene that was allegedly unscripted. Both cases remain unresolved, and as such, the project remains hindered.
What Is in the Future of ‘Horizon’?
As of this moment, the future of the Horizon saga remains both uncertain and bleak. With the pending cases, Chapter 2 will likely remain in limbo, awaiting a release strategy. Horizon was being positioned as an epic saga, with the first film boasting an incredibly robust cast featuring Sam Worthington, Sienna Miller, Abbey Lee, Luke Wilson, Danny Huston, and Tatanka Means, with all delivering inspired performances. Costner has vehemently denied any form of wrongdoing on the project’s set, which has hampered something that is a passion project for the director. Is there hope for the project going forward? While Costner and actor Huston remain firm believers in its potential success. Fellow project star, Worthington, is more reserved, noting any future success would depend on “whether it’s the right time for people to embrace it.”
It’s unclear at this time when Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 will be released. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the situation.
