Legal Battle Ignites Over Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’ After Box Office Disappointment
Kevin Costner’s passion project, “Horizon,” has quickly turned into a major headache — and not just because of its box office failure.
The Western epic, which Costner, 70, personally invested several million dollars into, is now at the center of a legal dispute involving New Line Cinema, Horizon Series (Costner’s loan-out company), and City National Bank.
According to reports, City National Bank filed for arbitration against both New Line Cinema and Horizon Series. In response, New Line filed a crossclaim seeking repayment from Horizon Series as part of its defense.
The dispute revolves around a financing agreement between New Line and Horizon Series that required repayment of part of the loan. New Line alleges it covered a payment that Horizon Series failed to make, while City National Bank claims it is owed even more money.
Sources say the three parties are currently at an impasse over the co-financing deal. Neither New Line Cinema nor City National Bank has commented publicly, and representatives for Horizon Series and Costner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Costner, known for his role on “Yellowstone,” previously revealed he invested well over $50 million of his own money into “Horizon.” He admitted to mortgaging 10 acres of waterfront property in Santa Barbara — originally intended for his dream home — to fund the film.
“Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1,” which Costner directed, co-wrote, starred in, and partly financed, had a production budget of around $100 million. However, it only grossed about $11 million during its opening week. The film was planned as the first of a four-part series, with the second chapter scheduled for release seven weeks after the debut. But due to poor box office performance, the sequel’s release has been delayed.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the second installment, filming for “Chapter 3” began last year — reportedly without full financing secured.
Last year, Costner openly discussed the difficulties in raising money for his ambitious projects. “I need some more money — I do,” he told The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast. “I need some billionaires, with those giant yachts who love to tell people they’re billionaires, to come make a movie with me. I don’t have their money, and I’ve already made two movies. Where are you rich guys?”
Meanwhile, fans expressed frustration after Costner dropped out of the second half of “Yellowstone’s” final season due to scheduling conflicts with “Horizon.” The actor, who played John Dutton on the hit series, later explained the situation, saying he had a narrow window to work on “Yellowstone,” but no script was ready.
“What you heard was me saying, ‘I’m doing my movie. If you want me to work a week because you want to kill me or whatever, I can give you that,’” Costner said. “I really didn’t have that week to give, but I offered it. Then they spun it as if I only wanted to work one week.”
He insisted that he “made Yellowstone the first priority” and called it unfair to suggest otherwise.
“Yellowstone” wrapped up its fifth and final season on December 15, 2024, but the series has already spawned several spinoffs, keeping the franchise alive.
