Kevin Costner introduces Horizon: An American Saga in first trailer
Kevin Costner's long-awaited Western epic Horizon premieres its first chapter on June 28 and the second on August 16
Film News Kevin Costner
Summer event cinema is here to stay. The first trailer for Horizon: An American Saga, Kevin Costner’s long-awaited Western epic, is here. Horizon, which Costner co-wrote, directed, and starred in, premieres its first chapter on June 28 and the second chapter on August 16. It’s like Barbenheimer for Yellowstone fans: sure, it’s two months apart, but it also has a who’s-who of Hollywood ensemble cast, including Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Michael Rooker, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jamie Campbell Bower, Alejandro Edda, Wasé Winyan Chief, Michael Anganaro, Giovanni Ribisi and a lot more.
Described as “a multi-faceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West,” Horizon: An American Saga “explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won—and lost—through the blood, sweat and tears of many,” reads a synopsis of the film. “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.”
Covering four years over two films feels reasonably ambitious, but Horizon was originally reported to span a full 15-year period. Back in 2022, Costner claimed his passion project was clocking in at 11 hours and would be divided into four different movies with two-plus hour runtimes that would release every three months. By fall of 2023, this had become two movies releasing about two months apart. According to The Hollywood Reporter, last summer’s strikes interrupted production of the final two installments, so chapters three and four could still be in the works.
The director actually sold the project as an “event television movie” but said in 2022 that “what [the studio does] with it will really be up to them because things change really quickly in how people want to see things and what they want to do.” At the time, Costner claimed Horizon “will eventually be cut up into [hour-long episodes] or 42 minutes—however TV works” so that audiences “get to see it the way I intended it to be seen.” So it seems the 11-hour director’s cut will still get its day in the sun.
And, y’know, for everything Costner has sacrificed for this project, you’d hope he’d get to present it however he wants. He gave up his Golden Globe-winning role on Yellowstone, the most popular show in America (“I sure hope [the movie is] worth it—and that it’s a good one,” said showrunner Taylor Sheridan). He put at least $20 million of his own money up for it (“I’ve mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house … But I did it without a thought,” Costner told Deadline). And, probably relatedly, given that the $20 million figure showed up in divorce filings, he split from his wife of 18 years. We’ll see if the juice was worth the squeeze this summer!
62 Comments
When do the robot dinosaurs show up?
At Dawn, of course.
And they’re going out west as well.
I would figure the easy answer would be at high noon. At dawn is more a samurai thing.Wait? Are there gonna be samurai too? Okay, now I’m listening.
“When Me Grimlock SAY SO!!!”
My first thought too
A western version of Waterworld or The Postman? Should be interestingNote that I did not say “good”
Wasn’t Waterworld already kind of a sci fi western? The Postman definitely was.
It was a pee-drinking western.
And the scenery chewing, oh the scenery chewing!
“It was a pee-drinking western.”They all are, son. They all are.
Well, water wasn’t safe to drink back then, right?
Sci fi-westerns, yes. But not western-westerns. Actually Costner’s actual westerns like Open Range or Dances with Wolves tend to be pretty good. Well, not Wyatt Earp so much. I am leery of this one though, it sounds bloated and a bit too much along the lines of Heaven’s Gate
I watched Dances With Wolves a bit ago…hadn’t seen it in a long time and, honestly, it wasn’t very good. Costner’s performance was especially hackey.
Dances with Wolves was ambitious & had a good cast but was a bit of a mess & I agree Costner kind of the weak link
Yeah it’s been years and it was just in my head as ‘Classic good movie’ but nope, it’s really not. Costner’s acting in Prince of Thieves was better than Dances With Wolves…in large part because he didn’t try to do the accent, honestly.
*gasps*
Well fling me over the castle wall!
Did you know he played Robin Hood?
Open Range was terrific, I thought. Wyatt Earp is a Lawrence Kasdan film, so I wouldn’t knock Costner for it (unlerss it’s the performance — I haven’t seen that one).
The gunfights in Open Range were just brilliantly staged, I don’t even know what else to compare them to
TRYING TO EVADE SPOILERSA lot of it was quick and sudden and brutal, but there was one particular death that really did shock me at the awful closeness of the shooting. I absolutely didn’t expect things to unfold the way they did.
I liked the remake of Dances with the blue cat people better.
you mean Braveheart?
Maybe there’s a connection between the Na’vi and the weird version of Scotland that mixes people centuries apart!
The Postman IS a post-apocalyptic western.Note that I did not say “good”.
A western version of WaterworldHm, yeah. They should have called it, let’s see.. Westworld!
As I read the article I was thinking “This sounds as self-indulgent and probably doomed as Waterworld and The Postman”, so I’m kind of glad this also occurred to other people as well, at least somewhat.
I know, right? It’s about time that Kevin Costner finally got to make a western themed show. Maybe a little out of the comfort zone, but he can do it, I’m sure.
I thought they streamed stuff this long. (snark) I hope it is not the right wing circle jerk toxic masculinity fever dream stuff like Yellowstone was.
This has giant flop written all over it.
Sold. Open Range is still the best western of the 21st century imo.
He’s just keeping himself busy until they re-boot The Big Chill.
A western set “during” the civil war. I thought all the manly men were fighting for states rights back east and not expanding westward? (joke)
It is one of the worst tropes how the heroes in Westerns are always confederate veterans (who were just “defending their homes”) instead of being on the non-evil side.
You ever think that Mark Harmon, Tim Daly, Bruce Greenwood, Scott Bakula and any other late 80s actor whose jumps from TV to movies were basically blocked by Costner’s hot streak at the time look at him now and are like:
“Why can’t you just be normal, dude?”
They put Harmon up against Sean Connery, dude never had a chance.
I give this comment one thumb up.
Dude!
Summer School is peak Harmon and I’ll brook no argument.
There’s still time for a Summer School follow-up. Kirstie Alley is no longer with us, of course, but most of the principals are. Chainsaw and Dave are still kicking, Courtney Thorne-Smith is still around and Patrick Labyorteaux has been on NCIS.Speaking of “principals,” that’s the natural progression for Shoop. Maybe Gills is the superintendent now, or in some other position where he can continue to be a foil.
Harmon got a cop movie against Connery, a baseball thing, a goofy romcom, and a few other whacks and just didn’t cross over.But he’s got one of the better TV careers in history.He’s also the guy that replaced Selleck at the top of my late Mama Worfington’s “I’d leave your father in a second” list
I guess westerns are to Costner what WWII is to Tom Hanks.
Westerns and baseball movies.
Cautiously optimistic. I miss westerns.
Is it just the scenery you miss?Superhero movies are the same childish worldview on good/evil where all problems are solved through violence.
In the first minute of the trailer an innocent, flaxen-haired young girl (picking flowers!) is threatened by menacing Native Americans. Boooooo!
The trailer looks like Open Range crossed with Lonesome Dove, except not good
After hearing about Lonesome Dove for years I started watching it recently. If this is worse than Lonesome Dove that’s quite an accomplishment.
Maybe you mean Lonesome Dove the TV series. Or one of the sequels. The original Lonesome Dove miniseries IMO is one of the best western things ever
For a bit there I was excited to see a trailer without loud banging drums but then came the LOUD BANGING DRUMS! JFC!
Well what about the CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN? KFC!
“K”rispy Fried Chicken?
Without a David McCullough narration, I’m not interested.
Good to see Luke Wilson getting work!
I see Kevin Costner the writer and director couldn’t resist the temptation to have a much younger woman throw herself at the character played by Kevin Costner the actor.
Unpopular opinion, I don’t care for cowboy Costner. Now, baseball Costner on the other hand…
…yeah, fuck him too.
Dances With Wolves was alright. Then again, he learned the Cowboys were the badguys.
I hope I’m wrong, but the trailer gives noble savage with the perspective of the heroic white protagonist discovering the new frontier.
It feels 90’s dated especially after seeing humanized portrayals of Native Americans in Reservation Dogs, Dark Winds, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
A friend of mine worked on making costumes, I’ll watch it.
Is this a parody? Seems hard to believe we’re meant to sit through an earnest depiction of how scary Native Americans are (weirdly, inexplicably) fighting back to keep their land against the blond pretty women and blond cool gunslingers that make this the real America in the end. Or is it one of those “both sides” takes where it’s like “well sure the Europeans might have tried to commit genocide to have the land be empty for their taking but at the same time those Native people sure were violent too.” Even better! My lord.