“It’s No Wonder That People Reject Westerns”: Kevin Costner Explains What “Lazy” Westerns Get Wrong & Why Horizon’s Better
Summary
The box office projections forHorizon: An American Sagaare sinking. The movie is the first of a four-part movie series directed, co-written, and produced by star Kevin Costner that depicts the Old West during the time of the Civil War with an ensemble cast that also includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Tatanka Means, and Thomas Haden Church. The first two chapters of theupcomingHorizon: An American Saga, which cost an estimated $100 million together, are set to be released in theaters two months apart, on June 28 and then August 16.
Horizon: An American Saga’s Financial Woes Explained
Has Kevin Costner Spent His Yellowstone Goodwill?
It makes sense whyHorizon: An American Sagawould seem like a sure bet, to the point thatCostner invested tens of millions of dollars of his own money in the project. The star comes with a tremendous amount of goodwill in the genre, having led the Taylor Sheridan neo-Western dramaYellowstone, which has spawned a sprawling television franchise, for five-and-a-half seasons. However, the behind-the-scenes drama involving his exit may have tarnished his reputation, or potentially theYellowstoneaudience simply isn’t as interested in seeing Costner perform a similar role set more than a century in the past.
How Much Money Kevin Costner Invested In The Horizon Movies (So Far)
It’s well known that Kevin Costner has put his own money into making Horizon: An American Saga a reality, but exactly how much has he put into them?
TheHorizon: An American Sagareviewsare not helping. After the movie premiered at Cannes and early reviews began to come in, it landed arelatively low Rotten Tomatoes score of 41%. While that is subject to change as more reviews are added, the Rotten splat may have scared away potential viewers who were on the fence about the project. Placing the first two movies so close together on the schedule may also cause a grim domino effect if word-of-mouth on the first movie is as negative as these early reviews.
27 Tomatometer-approved critics have weighed in onHorizon: An American Sagaat the time of writing.
It is worth noting that tracking in the modern era of wobbly post-pandemic box office has become more unpredictable, though usually what results from that is movies falling short of projections rather than vice versa. However, if it lands higher than projections, per Costner’s assertion thatYellowstoneviewers aren’t being included in tracking forHorizon: An American Saga, the first movie still may not make a profit. Movies typically need to earn twice their production budget just to end up in the black, which would likely placeChapter 1’s break-even point at $100 million or higher.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Cast
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is set in 1859, following families as they settle in territories from Wyoming to Kansas. The narrative centers around a cowboy on the run with a prostitute and a young boy after a deadly confrontation, exploring the challenges of life in the Old West.
