Kevin Costner teases a “devastating” third film in the Horizon: An American Saga series, and chats about funding the third and fourth films.
It’s pretty well known that Kevin Costner is currently half way through the making of his planned four film collection, Horizon: An American Saga.
Chapter 1 was released over the summer, although Chapter 2 doesn’t as of yet have a set release date. It’s debuted at the Venice Film Festival, but its theatrical release has been delayed, presumably now until 2025. Early whispers suggest the spring, but I’ve had no confirmation of that.
Looking further ahead, Costner has already shot nine minutes of the material he needs for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3, but has been open about the fact that funds are a little dry when it comes to shooting the remainder, and also the final film.
In a conversation on the Film Stories podcast, I asked Costner if – should the billionaires he’s been chatting to opt not to back his project – he’d look to turn to the audience for help.
“Chapter 3 is devastating. It’s written”, he says.
“What happens is my character begins to dominate the screen. Giovanni Ribisi will dominate. Other characters… Sienna [Miller] is luminous. Will Patton…”
In terms of getting the Horizon films moving again, Costner explains that “I have to figure out a way to go make it. I hope the public wants to go see it.”
“It works”, he continues. “There’s four of them. It’ll be a cinematic journey that sits on their shelf some day, the way Treasure Island sits. The way War And Peace sits. I hope it takes its place as something classic that you want to reach up there and pull it down once a year … let’s pull down Horizon, let’s take this journey that maybe our ancestors did.”
Still, he’s candid about the funding requirements, and when I questioned audience funding, he didn’t directly address it, but did say that “I’m going to have to use my wits. I’m going to have to be as spontaneous and as resourceful as the people who made it across this country without much. I don’t have much. There’s not a machine behind me. But I have a script, and I have people of talent who gravitate towards that.”
You can hear more from Kevin Costner and John Debney in our podcast special, here.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is now available in the UK for digital purchase and rental.
