Entertainment
Kevin Costner’s Western Saga Faces Another Devastating Blow
Like salt and pepper or peanut butter and jelly, Kevin Costner and the West go together. Since the early days of his on-screen career, the actor has had an affinity for traveling back through time to the days when folks were attempting to claim property up to the Mississippi and beyond. His obsession with all things cowboys and pioneers was even the primary drive behind his jump from working in front of the camera to behind it when, in 1990, Costner gave filmmaking a shot for the very first time with his critically acclaimed epic Western, Dances With Wolves, in which he also starred. Since then, his love for cowboy hats and cattle wranglers has continued to grow tenfold and nowadays, it seems that every project he’s involved with has some sort of Western flair.
At the height of his Western fascination, Costner starred in the hit series Yellowstone, which saw him appear in the role of John Dutton — a family man, ranch owner, and cold-hearted killer — who will do anything to hold onto his power and ensure his family’s ranch reins supreme. During his tenure on the Taylor Sheridan-created production, the performer landed numerous nominations and wins on the awards season circuit, including a Golden Globe. But, eventually, he grew bored with the series and suffered a falling out with Sheridan, which sent him packing and onto the next thing.
As one could have seen coming a mile away, the next thing was a Western, but this time Costner wanted to play by his own rules. Returning to a position that he feels increasingly comfortable in, Costner set out to not only star in but also direct his passion project, a movie called Horizon: An American Saga, which is meant to span four movies in total. Unfortunately, the only one that managed to see the light of day (so far) is the first installment, which came out back in 2024. As elusive as the rest of the films in Costner’s costly film series, time is running out for audiences to stream the first part of Horizon, as it will soon ride off into the sunset and leave HBO Max in the dust on February 28.
Will ‘Horizon’ Ever Continue?
Set against the backdrop of the great American West, Horizon focuses its lens on a handful of different characters all fighting for survival during some of the country’s deadliest years. Despite having plenty of hope and sinking a massive amount of his funds into it, Costner’s first chapter in his hopeful franchise faltered at the box office. And, while the second movie is said to be completely done, it hasn’t yet been released. In the two years since the first installment galloped into cinemas, the director and his team have faced plenty of scrutiny and scandal. From financial troubles to allegations of sexual harassment, it seems like the wheels have completely fallen off this covered wagon.
Head over to HBO Max before February 28 to see Costner’s passion project come to life.
- Release Date
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June 28, 2024
- Runtime
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182 minutes
- Producers
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Howard Kaplan, Mark Gillard