Kevin Costner Discusses the Future of His ‘Horizon’ Film Series Following Box Office Flop
Kevin Costner Remains Unfazed by Box Office Performance of ‘Horizon’ Films
Kevin Costner, at 69, was a prominent figure at the Venice Film Festival this weekend, where he premiered the sequel to “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter One.” The first film, which was released in June, struggled at the box office, grossing only $36 million against a $100 million budget. Additionally, Costner invested $38 million of his own funds into the project.
The sequel, “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two,” also faced criticism, receiving mostly negative reviews upon its Venice debut. Despite these setbacks, Costner remains committed to the four-part series. He confirmed plans to direct and star in the third installment, stating, “I have to hurry and not let the rock fall back downhill. I’ve gotta go put my hands on it again and start to push it up. It’s a rope that I cannot let go of. I don’t know how I’m gonna make 3 right now, but I’m gonna make it.”
Variety reports that principal photography for “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 3” began in May and is expected to be completed next year. Costner also revealed that all the “Horizon” films are written and hinted that the third film will be “devastating.”
Following the poor performance of the first movie, the sequel’s theatrical release was scrapped, and it instead premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Costner addressed the decision to delay the sequel’s release, attributing it to the disappointing performance of the first film. “It was a studio decision to release it six weeks later, and then it became a studio situation to not release it that quickly,” he said.
Costner, known for his roles in classics like “Field of Dreams,” expressed confidence in the long-term success of the series. “I’ve had a lot of movies that have stood the test of time,” he noted. “For me, it fell back into my plan, which was to release the movies about five or six months apart, allowing me to come to Venice.”
He previously defended the Western franchise, which features Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, and Giovanni Ribisi, stating, “I’ve faced life with people being dismissive of me, but they can’t be dismissive of ‘Horizon,’ because now it’s out of their hands. They might point to the finish line—well, this is what it did at the box office—but I know that this movie is going to play for the next 50 years.”
