Kevin Costner and Warner Bros. are taking a huge with his new movie, Horizon: An American Saga, and a new report exposes some of the circumstances and details surrounding the film. Horizon is a passion project for Costner, as it is a planned series of Western films that he stars in, co-wrote, produced, and directed. The films are set in pre- and post-Civil War America, and depict the expansion of the American West.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is set to open in theaters on June 28, 2024, with Chapter 2 debuting just weeks later, on Aug. 16, 2024, with two more installments on the docket as well. According to Puck, these films are a major risk for a couple of correlated reasons: The budget per movie is estimated at around $100 million each, a risky price, especially since Costner has not directed a film since 2003’s Open Range. That film had a budget of $22 million but earned only $68 million at the box office. Puck notes that if, for any reason, Horizon – Chapter 1 is a flop, that almost certainly dooms Chapter 2 to be a flop as well.
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Furthermore, the film’s distributor, Warner Bros., has done little to share any of the costs. In order to try and minimize the risks to WB, Puck reports, “Costner and his Horizon investors have agreed to shell out the P&A (marketing and releasing costs) for both Horizons.” As far as Warner Bros. involvement, the outlet states they have “very little skin in this game” and are simply distributing the film domestically for a fee, with foreign distribution still up for grabs. Puck also estimates that marketing on a film like Horizon would cost somewhere between $40 million or $50 million, but adds that Chapter 2 would likely not have the same level of cost, as the Chapter 1 marketing would have some crossover.
Regarding the financiers behind Horizon, Puck reports that Costner has kept their identities secret. However, the outlet states they’ve been told that it is “a consortium of wealthy, non-Hollywood people, except for Costner himself.” Puck adds that Costner “has said in court filings that he’s in this thing for at least $20 million” of his own money. The outlet notes that if Horizon bombs, it could have major ramifications on Costner, especially since he already left his hit Paramount Network series, Yellowstone.
In addition to Costner, Horizon: An American Saga features a hefty cast of acclaimed actors, such as Thomas Haden Church, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jeff Fahey, Will Patton, Tatanka Means, Owen Crow Shoe, Ella Hunt and Jamie Campbell Bower. Chapter 2 will add Glynn Turman, Kathleen Quinlan, and Giovanni Ribisi. Horizon – Chapter 3 was in production but was forced to halt due to the writers and actors strike.
