How Kevin Costner’s Biggest Regret Impacted the Western Genre and Why the Horizon Saga Won’t Bring It Back

Kevin Costner’s Western Legacy: How a Regret Nearly Killed the Genre

For all its scandals and complexities, Yellowstone has achieved one significant triumph: it has revitalized Kevin Costner’s Western career. The actor has long been enamored with the idea of the Old West, often prioritizing it over his own professional stability—evidenced by his decision to invest heavily in projects that ultimately faltered. However, financial backing can only go so far before audiences seek more rewarding cinematic experiences. In the case of Horizon: An American Saga, Costner finds himself compelled to unleash his creativity and passion. This four-part Western saga pays homage to the expansive American Midwest while adopting a long-form storytelling style. Should it fail to resonate with viewers, it may still be viewed as a testament to a once-thriving genre in years to come.

Costner’s Ironic Journey with Westerns

Without the talents of writers Michael Blake and Taylor Sheridan, Costner might have undervalued his place in Hollywood. While he is undoubtedly a strong screen presence, his fixation on Westerns has often led to a downward spiral in his career. Thankfully, Dances With Wolves (with Blake) and Yellowstone (with Sheridan) prove that not all his endeavors have been in vain. Conversely, films like Wyatt Earp have tarnished his reputation, diminishing his box office appeal and contributing to the decline of the Western genre. While modern projects like Westworld and Yellowstone have kept elements of the Western alive, the classic era of the American Old West is essentially over, and Costner bears much of that responsibility—something he seems to acknowledge.

For decades, Costner has been synonymous with the Western genre, stepping into a role once held by Clint Eastwood after he hung up his spurs in the ’60s. While Eastwood returned intermittently in the ’80s and ’90s, there was no definitive figure to embody the Western until Costner and Kurt Russell emerged. However, while Russell recognized the artistic merit of his projects, Costner dived into one that aimed to tell a grand story—albeit a flawed one.

Costner’s critical error was choosing to pursue Wyatt Earp over Tombstone, the latter becoming a celebrated classic. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, Wyatt Earp attempted to condense the expansive life of its titular character into a single, three-hour film, resulting in a disjointed narrative that felt more like a historical documentary than a compelling epic.

Wyatt Earp: The Frontier Hero Who Derailed the Western

Wyatt Earp was a multifaceted figure in the Old West—lawman, gunslinger, con man, gambler, and saloonkeeper—yet his complex life was too rich to be fully captured in one film. In a May 2024 interview with GQ, Costner expressed his regret about the film’s release, saying, “I love Wyatt, or I just love that movie. We got into a level of competition with Tombstone. A good friend said, ‘Look, we can postpone this movie. We don’t wanna compete.’ And I said, ‘Look, I’m sure this writer, director wants to make this movie, let them.’ And then this kind of space race started. And I always regretted that there was this kind of weird competition… it’s too bad it went the way it went.”

Earp’s life was too intricate for a simplistic portrayal, and Costner’s efforts to humanize him often felt forced. In stark contrast, Tombstone, released just six months earlier, is widely hailed as one of the best Westerns ever made. The missteps of Wyatt Earp have haunted Costner for decades, serving as a cautionary tale for Hollywood and steering the industry away from traditional Westerns toward more futuristic narratives.

In an age dominated by superhero films and sci-fi, Horizon may struggle to find an audience. As the genre of the classic Western continues to fade into history, Costner’s earlier choices serve as a stark reminder of the challenges in reviving a once-beloved cinematic form.