If we were living in a perfect world, we would have all been able to see what Kevin Costner had in store for us with Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2, but now that the second part of his epic Western has been pulled from the 2024 movie schedule, there’s a lot of mystery surrounding the whole project.
That said, there’s quite a bit we know about the second chapter of Costner’s first directorial effort since Open Range at this time, including its cast, story, and where the franchise might be going in the future. Let’s take a look now…
What Is The Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 Release Date?
There is currently no release date set for Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2. The film was supposed to close out the summer box office season less than two months after the first installment in Kevin Costner’s epic Western rode into theaters, but that’s no longer the case. In July 2024, a little more than a month before the movie’s August 16 release date, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that New Line Cinema pulled the upcoming flick from its spot on the release calendar with no new premiere being announced at the time.
We still don’t know when the studio will announce a new Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 release date, but the film is scheduled to have its world premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. That said, we should know more about its theatrical rollout at some point soon.
The Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 Cast
When Kevin Costner’s upcoming Western hits the big screen at some point in the future, it will once again be populated by all those characters from the first film (those who survived anyway). That said, here’s a quick breakdown of the Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 cast.
Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison
Kevin Costner will return as Hayes Ellison, the resourced horse trader introduced in Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 earlier this year. This is the latest in a long line of cowboy characters Costner has played over the years.
Sienna Miller as Frances Kittredge
Sienna Miller will be back in the second chapter of Horizon after first playing Frances Kittredge in the first part of the epic Western. Miller is also slated to return for at least the third installment of the franchise at a later date.
Sam Worthington as First Lt. Trent Gephardt
In addition to appearing in the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, Sam Worthington will return as First Lt. Trent Gephardt in Horizon: An American Saga Part 2.
Georgia MacPhail as Elizabeth Kittredge
With so much of Elizabeth’s story left unfinished in Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1, it should be no surprise that Georgie MacPhail will return to play the character once again.
Jena Malone as Lucy
Jena Malone and Kevin Costner will team up again for the second installment of the Western when she reprises her role as Lucy, one of the most complex yet unforgettable characters in the Horizon saga
Luke Wilson as Matthew Van Weyden
Luke Wilson will be back for another round of action as Matthew Van Weden, the leader of the wagon train traversing the American West in Horizon Chapter 1.
When Will We See The Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 Trailer?
The first Horizon: An American Saga trailer was released in February 2024 and gave the world its first proper look at Kevin Costner’s then upcoming Western. That video came out four months before the three-hour epic hit the big screen, but it’s been a different story for Chapter 2. Though the first chapter ended with a tease of what’s to come, no proper trailer has been released at this point. Maybe that’ll change after the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.
What Is Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 About?
Not a lot has been said about Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 when it comes to the film’s story, but with so many stories being left up in the air following the Chapter 1 ending, we’re going to be seeing numerous familiar faces on their ceaseless journey to the elusive of Horizon.
What Happens At The End Of Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1
Spoiler Warning: The following section contains major spoilers for Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1. If you’ve yet to watch the movie, please exercise caution.
With the Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 ending wrapping up multiple storylines that are all loosely connected (for now, anyway), keeping track of everything that happens in the final minutes of the sprawling Western is quite the feat. Here is how all the major stories wrap up leading into Chapter 2.
After saving Marigold (Abby Lee) multiple times throughout the movie (including during the climactic conclusion of their shared story) throughout the movie, Hayes Ellison takes her under his wing once more as they flee pursuers, presumably headed to Horizon.
We also followed Matthew Van Weyden’s wagon train over the course of the first movie and seems to be losing his grasp on his rowdy and raucous workers, two of whom have an eye for a certain passenger. We’re left with a great deal of uncertainty in this thread.
And then there’s Frances Kittredge’s tragic story of loss and rebirth after the terrifying attack in the early goings of the film. After losing so much, the widow finds a new beginning in a relationship with Trent Gephardt in an Army camp. We’ll have to see where this one takes us.
These are just three of the main storylines that will carry on into Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2.
How To Watch Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
If you haven’t seen Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1, which could be a lot of you considering the movie’s lackluster box office performance, you’re not out of luck. Kevin Costner’s epic joined the list of best movies on Max back in August, less than two months after its theatrical rollout kicked off. Clocking in a little over three hours, the massive Western with its multiple storylines and enchanting visuals is captivating to say the least. And now anyone with a Max subscription can give it a watch.
Stream Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 on Max.
What Is The Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 Rating?
Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 hasn’t been given a rating at the time of this writing, but we’d be surprised if it was anything but rated R. The first film in Kevin Costner’s sprawling epic had a restrictive rating, and if part 2 is more of the same, we can expect a similar rating to come down from the MPA.
Kevin Costner Has Talked About Shooting The Third And Fourth Movies Back-To-Back In 2025
From the beginning, Kevin Costner has planned on Horizon: An American Saga being not just a two-part event, but a sprawling four-part saga with an epic scope and scale. In June 2022, Costner told Variety that the epic is being planned as four different movies, but nearly two years later, only two installments have been filmed. That soon could change, according to the actor and director who has a lot on the line with the project.
When speaking with Today in August 2024, Costner stated that a portion of Chapter 3 had been filmed and that he would like to shoot the remainder of film back-to-back with Chapter 4 in 2025, stating:
The plan is, I’ve already shot a little bit of the third,” he says. “And to perhaps shoot them back to back next spring.
How much of the third film has been completed is unknown at this time, but Costner does seem committed to seeing his American Saga through, no matter what it takes.
Expect to hear a lot more about Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 very soon, but in the meantime, don’t forget to check out our rundown of the best Westerns of all time.
