Kevin Costner’s Western Gamble That Ended ‘Yellowstone’ Run Set to Exit Streaming Soon

Kevin Costner, a two-time Oscar winner for Dances With Wolves, recently faced disappointing news about his latest film. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, which he both stars in and directs, has been available on Netflix throughout the year, but the streaming platform announced that it will be removed on July 15. This gives fans about a month to catch the three-hour Western epic, which struggled to recoup its reported $100 million budget, earning only $38 million at the box office. Critical response was mixed, with Rotten Tomatoes scores showing 51% from critics and a more favorable 70% from audiences.

Costner is best known to many as John Dutton on Yellowstone, the hit modern Western created by Taylor Sheridan. However, his time on the show didn’t end on a high note. Costner has revealed that his decision to leave Yellowstone, which wrapped up its final season late last year, was partly driven by his commitment to Horizon. During 2024, while working on both projects simultaneously, he even left the set of Horizon to shoot scenes for Yellowstone, only to find the scripts incomplete upon arrival. Additionally, creative tensions between Costner and Sheridan during the final season added to the strain, making it clear both sides were ready to move forward.

As for the sequel to Horizon: An American Saga, its release remains uncertain. Originally slated for last year, the second installment was pulled from release after the underwhelming performance of the first film. Although Horizon Chapter 2 premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, it also received a lukewarm response, putting global distribution plans on hold. Recently, star Glynn Turman disclosed that filming on Part 3 had begun but has since been paused, with the future of the project currently uncertain.