“Horizon: A New Dawn”? It keeps the connection to the original while hinting at a fresh chapter in the story.

Kevin Costner’s grand Western saga “Horizon” may not have made the impact he hoped for with critics or at the box office, but the star of “Yellowstone” is far from ready to abandon his ambitious project.

The second chapter, titled “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2,” made its debut at the Venice Film Festival yesterday, following an indefinite delay in its release. Despite the lukewarm reception, Costner remains optimistic about the future of the series. Speaking to the press after the screening, he expressed a determined outlook for the third installment, which he promises will be “devastating.” Costner revealed that scripts for both the third and fourth chapters are already written, and he’s eager to continue pushing the project forward. “I have to hurry and not let the rock fall back downhill,” he said. “I’ve gotta put my hands on it again and start to push it up. It’s a rope that I cannot let go of.”

Costner, who not only directs and co-writes but also stars in the films alongside Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, and Jena Malone, plays Hayes Ellison, a cowboy on the run with a prostitute and a young boy after a deadly confrontation. Set in the latter half of the 19th century, the saga explores the challenges and allure of the Old West as families settle in territories from Wyoming to Kansas.

Despite the second installment’s less-than-stellar reviews, Costner remains committed to the project, having already invested a significant amount of his own funds. Although the film was initially slated for a 16th August release—just six weeks after the first chapter—its box office performance led to a postponement. Costner has hinted that the film could still hit theaters before the end of 2024, though an official release date has yet to be confirmed.