Kevin Costner Almost Made Another Legendary Sports Movie — Here’s How an MLB Team Ruined It

In some alternate reality, there’s one more sports movie out there directed by and starring Kevin Costner.

Just look at his track record. From Bull Durham and Field of Dreams to For Love of the Game, Tin Cup, and Draft Day, Costner has built one of the most impressive sports-film résumés in Hollywood. If things had unfolded a little differently in 2016, we might have been adding another baseball story to that list.

Now nearing 72, the former Yellowstone star was recently asked whether he would ever return to the sports genre. Given the lukewarm response to his recent passion project, Horizon: An American Saga, it’s no surprise he’s become more selective about what he chooses to take on.

Still, Costner admitted he would absolutely consider another sports movie — if the right script came along.

Reflecting on making Field of Dreams and Bull Durham back-to-back, he pointed out that baseball films weren’t exactly considered box office gold at the time. But he trusted his instincts. He knew when he had read something special, and he believed that authenticity and strong storytelling would ultimately connect with audiences.

In today’s landscape, though, finding a script that matches the quality of those classics would be no easy task.

And for Costner, it’s not just about great writing. The role has to fit. He’s long maintained that sports movies only work when they feel real. If the actor doesn’t convincingly belong in that world, the audience can tell. Loving the sport isn’t enough — you have to bring credibility to it.

Ironically, Costner revealed that he actually had another baseball movie lined up at one point. The idea was ready. He was prepared to move forward with it. But then real life intervened.

He explained that once the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016, the entire concept no longer worked — and the project was shelved.

He hasn’t shared exactly what the story would have been, but it’s easy to imagine it may have centered around the infamous “Billy Goat Curse” or the decades of heartbreak Cubs fans endured before finally breaking through. Once that historic championship happened, the dramatic tension that may have driven the film simply disappeared.

So while Chicago celebrated a long-awaited title, movie fans may have unknowingly lost what could have been another classic baseball film from Kevin Costner.