Storm Clouds Over ‘Horizon’: Kevin Costner Faces Legal Woes After Seeking Billionaire Backing
Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’ Faces Legal Setback Amid Box Office Struggles and Funding Woes
Kevin Costner’s passion project Horizon: An American Saga continues to face serious headwinds. After struggling at the box office, the film is now at the center of a legal dispute involving Costner’s loan-out company and co-financier New Line Cinema.
Following the underwhelming performance of Horizon: Chapter 1, which earned just $38 million globally, Costner’s company, Horizon Series, has been hit with an arbitration claim. According to reports, New Line Cinema filed the claim as part of an ongoing legal tangle that began when City National Bank initiated arbitration proceedings against both Horizon Series and New Line Cinema. The bank alleged that it was owed more than it had received, prompting New Line to file a cross-claim asserting they had fulfilled their financial obligations — and that Costner’s firm had not.
This legal trouble adds to the growing list of challenges surrounding the Western epic. The first installment, which premiered at Cannes before its June 28 release, failed to gain traction with audiences. In the wake of its disappointing performance, the release of Horizon: Chapter 2, originally slated for August, has been indefinitely delayed, though it was screened at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Costner, who won an Oscar for Dances With Wolves, had envisioned Horizon as a four-part saga chronicling the settlement of the American West before and after the Civil War. Despite investing over $38 million of his own money into the series, the 62-year-old actor has been open about his financial struggles. In a candid plea last year, he publicly called on billionaires to help support the project:
“I need some money — I do. I need some of these big billionaires with f—ing boats ‘from here to here’ who love saying they’re billionaires to come with me and make a movie. I’ve already made two of them. Where are you rich guys?”
Despite the setbacks, Costner remains determined. Speaking at an event last November, he expressed unwavering belief in the project:
“I’m hoping, I’m dreaming, I’m meeting all the billionaires we hear about — they’re hiding in the shadows. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’m going to make [Chapter 3], and then I’m going to make the fourth one.”
While the future of Horizon remains uncertain, Costner’s resolve hasn’t faltered. He continues to chase the vision he set out to bring to life — a sweeping cinematic portrayal of America’s Western frontier. Whether this latest legal entanglement will slow that pursuit remains to be seen.
