“Kevin Costner’s Most Trusted Horizon Partner Made Everyone an Enemy Ahead of $200M Flop”
Kevin Costner’s Troubled ‘Horizon’ Gamble: How a Trusted Partner May Have Led to a $200M Flop
Kevin Costner has long been known as a Hollywood maverick—determined, uncompromising, and often labeled “difficult” due to his insistence on chasing personal creative visions, even when others question their viability. A new report examines the circumstances that led to the troubled production of Horizon: An American Saga, and the role his longtime business partner played in what has become a major career risk.
After early success with films like The Untouchables and Field of Dreams, Costner cemented his legacy with Dances With Wolves—a film he directed, produced, and starred in, earning him Oscars for both Best Picture and Best Director. But the highs of the ’90s were followed by major missteps, most notably Waterworld and The Postman, both of which flopped at the box office.
Costner’s career saw a resurgence in 2018 with the launch of Yellowstone, a hugely popular series that introduced him to a new generation of fans. However, his time on the show became increasingly strained due to growing conflicts with cast and crew. A reported on-set confrontation with co-star Wes Bentley is said to have been a turning point.
Sources claim that as tensions on Yellowstone escalated, Costner’s focus began to shift toward his passion project: Horizon: An American Saga, a four-part film series chronicling life in the American Midwest after the Civil War. Despite a lack of studio interest in the script, Costner chose to leave Yellowstone and pursue Horizon independently, enlisting the help of his longtime confidant and business partner, Howard Kaplan—a former Price Waterhouse accountant who also served as his legal adviser and producer on the films.
Kaplan quickly became a controversial figure on the set. Former unit production manager Marc Weinstein recalled reading the script for Horizon: Chapter 1 and being shocked at the production’s $70 million budget estimate, claiming it would realistically cost closer to $130 million.
“Howard made enemies out of everyone,” Weinstein stated. “He alienated anyone who tried to work with Kevin to help the movie. I love Kevin, but Howard cut everyone else out. No one knew what was happening with the money—not even Kevin. He let Howard make all the decisions without being fully informed. And that ended up costing him dearly.”
Weinstein, who was hired in early 2022 and later fired by Kaplan just before Father’s Day, says he was one of many sidelined in the chaotic pre-production process. Kaplan, however, dismissed Weinstein’s comments, stating:
“Marc Weinstein was terminated based on his performance more than eight weeks before the start of photography. He was not one of Kevin’s representatives and had no knowledge of what Kevin was or wasn’t aware of.”
Horizon: Chapter 1 premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews. Upon theatrical release, it grossed under $40 million, with a Rotten Tomatoes score that initially debuted at 27% and later climbed to 51%. Costner reportedly invested $38 million of his own money into the film, with the total budget for the saga reaching $200 million.
Although filming on the second installment has wrapped, Warner Bros. has pulled out as distributor, and the film currently has no release date. Sources say Costner is still determined to complete the final two films in the series, but financing and distribution remain in limbo.
“Right now, there’s really nothing happening,” said a source close to the project. “But could it still happen? Possibly.”
