How Kevin Costner Truly Feels About the Change of Plans for Horizon: Chapter 2
One Door Closes, Another Opens for the Next Chapter in Kevin Costner’s Horizon Saga
Over a cup of Green Mountain coffee, Kevin Costner shared his thoughts on the new direction for Horizon: Chapter 2 and explained why box office numbers aren’t his main focus.
This isn’t Costner’s first experience with unexpected outcomes.
Before Field of Dreams premiered in 1989, Costner himself predicted the film would “probably disappear quickly,” calling it “curiously literary and undramatic.”
Try telling that to the millions who have since visited the Dyersville, Iowa cornfield where Ray Kinsella was told, “If you build it, he will come.” They’d probably think you were out of your mind.
“It was so dismissive to think Field of Dreams would just fade away,” Costner told us. “And yet, decades later, we’re still celebrating it. Men, women, sons, daughters—generations have embraced it. That’s the kind of legacy I want for Horizon.”
Known for swinging big in his career, Costner has seen his share of home runs—like his Oscar-winning Dances With Wolves—and some less successful plays. His long-anticipated Horizon: An American Saga, a planned four-part epic about Civil War-era westward migration, was met with skepticism long before the first installment hit theaters in June. “I’ve faced plenty of dismissiveness,” he said. “But they can’t dismiss Horizon anymore. It’s out there now. Some may focus on box office numbers, but I believe this movie will be watched for the next 50 years.”
Like Field of Dreams, there’s a deeper purpose behind the saga. “There’s a moment when you want your children to watch it—to understand what their ancestors went through. This isn’t just a western, it’s a history lesson about migration and survival. I’m incredibly proud of that.”
Despite the decision to delay the theatrical release of Horizon: Chapter 2 from August 16 to give audiences more time to discover the first film, Costner remains optimistic. His production company, Territory Pictures, announced the shift just seven weeks after the first film’s debut. However, the world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where both films will screen back-to-back on September 7, brightened the outlook.
“That was a wonderful surprise,” Costner said about Venice hosting the saga. “They understand this is a series.”
Originally, the Venice premiere was exactly what Costner imagined. “I never pictured releasing the films six weeks apart; I thought it would be four or six months. But the studio saw a chance to do something different.”
He laughed, “That idea doesn’t hold anymore.”
Still, the Venice premiere fulfilled his dream. “They won’t screen a film that’s already been shown elsewhere, so when one thing falls through, another opportunity appears.” Known for his determination, Costner invested $38 million into the project, showing how serious he is about this saga. “I don’t easily give up on things I care about,” he explained. “Unless someone convinces me it needs a different path, I stick with it.”
Though he admits he’s been persuaded off his stance before, this time he’s committed. “My job is to bring something original. Making a good western is tough,” he said.
Costner praised the performances in the ensemble cast, especially highlighting Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, and Abbey Lee for their standout work in Chapter 1. “They really come alive, and it’s even more so in Chapter 2.”
Honesty about western expansionism was crucial for Costner. “Every town—from St. Louis to Tucson to Phoenix—started with a single stake in the ground. That land belonged to indigenous people who didn’t want settlers there.”
When critics said ambitious westerns wouldn’t succeed in today’s streaming era, Costner paid no mind.
He literally woke up to coffee every day while promoting the film, partnering with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to release the Horizon Blend by Kevin Costner. “Authenticity matters to me,” he said over Zoom from his Santa Barbara home, sipping coffee. “I thought, why not do something I use daily?” He appreciated Green Mountain’s collaboration to perfect his dark roast but admitted, “I also throw in chocolate and other things—I love the Mountainside Mocha Latte.”
Given his hectic schedule before Chapter 1’s premiere, Costner will definitely need plenty of caffeine as he gears up for Chapter 2.
He wasn’t sure if Venice would be a full family event like Cannes, where his daughters Annie (40), Lily (38), Grace (14), and sons Cayden (17) and Hayes (15) joined him for the premiere and a seven-minute standing ovation.
Cayden “might come,” Costner said, but the teenager has to “make a convincing case” to miss four days of school.
