“What We Know So Far About Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3”

Kevin Costner’s Western epic Horizon: An American Saga has been a journey full of twists and turns.

The ambitious project, which Costner began developing in 1988, first sparked speculation when it was rumored that it contributed to his departure from his leading role on the hit TV series Yellowstone. The inaugural film of what was intended to be a four-part saga premiered earlier this summer. Despite a high-profile debut at Cannes, it struggled at the box office. As a result, the already-completed second film was pulled from its August release schedule by the studio, who cited a desire to give the first film more time to gain traction. To date, there’s been no update on when, or if, the second film will be released.

Despite this uncertainty, Costner remains committed to the project. He’s determined to move forward with the third installment, though the timeline and details remain unclear. At the Venice Film Festival, where Chapter 2 premiered, Costner expressed his resolve to continue the saga. “I don’t know exactly how I’m going to make ‘Three’ right now,” he told reporters, “But I’m going to make it.” He continued, “I have to hurry and not let the rock fall back downhill. I’ve gotta go put my hands on it again and start to push it up. It’s a rope that I cannot let go of.”

Deadline reports that the scripts for both the third and fourth chapters, written by Costner and co-writer Jon Baird, are ready. In May, Costner mentioned that filming for Chapter 3 had commenced but was halted for the Cannes debut of the first film. The extent of the progress on Chapter 3 remains unclear, though Costner described the project’s challenges as “devastating” at the Venice festival.

“If there’s anything you expect from Part 2, it’s that it gets harder than the first,” Costner noted. “Going west is tough. Chapter 3 will be the same; it gets harder. But I will tell you this: Chapter 3 is devastating. You’ll come to know all these characters, and as life continues to challenge them, you will see the impact.”

Having personally financed much of the project—reportedly mortgaging his Santa Barbara estate in the process—Costner had previously anticipated investing $98 million of his own funds into the first three films.