In the 1980s, the multifaceted Kevin Costner began to shape the dream that would eventually become Horizon: An American Saga. What was originally a singular film would blossom into a four-chapter epic, with half of that story being told on the 2024 movie schedule. Though he saw multiple setbacks on the path towards this rarified experience, what never faded was Costner’s revolve to tell this story in its full cinematic form.
After seeing the first chapter myself, I walked away understanding that fact better than I had when first learning what we know about Horizon: An American Saga. The picture only became clearer when I took part in the press day for this initial installment of Warner Bros.’ bid to score an entry, or four, on the list of the best western movies ever made.
That occasion, of course, came with a chance to speak to the actor/writer/director behind this sprawling beauty. As I inquired about how the four chapters of Horizon best benefitted taking the long trail into existence, Kevin Costner shared with CinemaBlend the following:
It’s not a character as much as it is the West was not a land in Disneyland. It was 300 years to try to … you know, people were making their way out there, and I’m talking about from sea to shining sea. The West we’re looking at, people were out there for 40 or 50 years, engaging with an Indigenous population, and it was a struggle. No one wanted to give it up, why should they? And the white people wouldn’t stop coming. It was a recipe for disaster. And so I think it’s not so much what character gives it length.
As you’ll read in my Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 review, there are several reasons why those efforts already feel like this extended approach has paid off. Then again, anybody who’s seen a Costner-directed picture could have told you that, as even projects like his cult classic post-apocalyptic drama The Postman have fans who’ll back his call.
You could say that if there’s anyone that matches the tenacity of this Yellowstone star, it’s his fanbase. Which could be a good thing, as Horizon: Chapter 1's initial critical reaction from the Cannes Film Festival didn't exactly start things off on the right foot. As we've seen happen from time to time, Kevin Costner may see his fans defying those odds, and delivering this would-be franchise starter a win.
In fact, in Kevin Costner’s ReelBlend interview, he revealed that Sidewinder’s evolution came from the rejections he’d encountered along the way. When failing to secure passage for his Western epic to be made in 2003, the Open Range director broke out what he calls his patented move, which was telling himself “Well, I’ll make four more, since they don’t want to make one.”
As he continued to tease the rest of Horizon: An American Saga’s story, it’s pretty clear how and why one movie, or maybe even two, wasn’t going to cut it. Further fleshing out his thoughts with CinemaBlend, Kevin provided these additional details:
[Chapter 2] I saw yesterday, and it’s already as good as this one, if not better. It gets harder for them. So it doesn’t get easier. And [Chapter 3] gets harder, and what you realize is people were scratching it out, were barely holding on. You see moments of bad behavior, you see nobility in other people, you see a level of courage and grit, and that’s what I wanted to portray. It’s about a 12 year period, and just to see that not much changes. That ultimately in America, at least for the Native Americans, there was a tipping point where they were destroyed. And some of these towns, if they were set properly, would take hold.
While most may have expected Kevin Costner’s stoic cowboy Hayes Ellison to be the center of Horizon’s multi-chapter adventure, that isn’t exactly the case. In fact, we don’t get our first glimpse of the Silverado star until about an hour into things. And this is in a movie where actors like Kim Coates and Giovanni Ribisi either play a limited role in this initial offering or have been saved for future chapters altogether.
The scope of this tale, co-written by screenwriter Jon Baird, absolutely earns its length, as Horizon: An American Saga’s cast includes the likes of Sam Worthington and Sienna Miller, as well as Indigenous actors Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means and Wasé Chief. With both sides of the westward expansion being shown, the world of Horizon is just as much about history as it is about the various takes on the conflicts that arose from its events.
From what Kevin Costner has said above, the hardships are only going to increase for everyone as time marches on. But for now, we're still at the start of Horizon: An American Saga's trail to potential box office glory, with Chapter 1 currently in theaters. Those of you looking to continue the journey will have to wait until August 16th, as that’s the day set for Chapter 2’s grand debut.
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