The Western is one of the many genres that have endured in the vast canon of American film. And with Horizon: An American Saga set for release soon, all eyes will be on Kevin Costner to prove that the Western is still as appealing as it ever was.
It would not be incorrect, of course, to suggest that Costner’s forthcoming passion project is pushing the boundaries of his line of work. The Western epic is a big risk for the California-born actor, given how much of his own money went into financing the flick, which will be released in two parts.
Starring Sam Worthington, Costner, and Sienna Miller, among others, the film is set during the American Civil War.
Even though the backdrop and main idea of Horizon: An American Saga is fairly well-known, Costner might still score a career-high with this film. But in order for the film and its follow-ups to really mark a turning point in his career, especially after Yellowstone’s exit, they will need support from both the audience and reviewers.
Horizon: An American Saga: Will Kevin Costner Resurrect or Retire the Western Genre?
The Western genre has taken a backseat in an era when gritty crime dramas and superhero epics dominate the big screen. Kevin Costner is under great strain to mirror that the genre still has a place in today’s entertainment market with the impending release of Horizon: An American Saga.
Justified, Deadwood, and Westworld, for example, all had their rightful places in the 2000s and 2010s. However, none could compare to Yellowstone, which has gone on to become one of the most-watched TV series ever. The popularity of such shows seemed to be heralding a slight renaissance for the Western genre, despite fluctuations in success over the years.
However, there is a chance Horizon: An American Saga will reverse the trend and completely eliminate the genre. How? Costner appears to have made prior attempts to get Horizon: An American Saga produced. The project was never completed, despite the actor’s 1988 pitch attempts, as he disclosed in a Deadline interview.
Then, in 2003, Costner signed a contract with Disney, but the agreement collapsed because of disagreements over funding. Studios’ reluctance to produce this flick could be seen as a sign that it lacks the potential to succeed.
Having starred in beloved Westerns like Dances with Wolves and Open Range, Costner, 69, is no stranger to the genre. Fans are greatly attracted to his appearance in Horizon: An American Saga, but the success of the film depends heavily on him. It may signal the end of Westerns once again if it is unable to attract sufficient interest and viewers.
The initial response was not very good either. After its trailer debuted in February, fans posted quips on social media about how big Costner’s costly Western film is. Not to mention that, despite his high hopes for the movie and its potential, the actor’s previous passion project, Waterworld, fell short at the box office (see Box Office Mozo).
Analyzing the Risk Points of Kevin Costner’s Western Epic
Horizon: An American Saga’s genre is one of the most uncomplicated yet terrifying aspects of Warner Bros. Pictures distributed flick.
While Western films once dominated Hollywood, a lot has changed in the last few decades. Many of the contemporary Westerns have become box office hits; a few examples include John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven, S. Craig Zahler’s Bone Tomahawk, Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the Dead, and particularly Oscar-nominated Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger.
Having said that, Hollywood nowadays has turned Westerns into a lucrative fatal dose, so Horizon: An American Saga is a risky bet. Furthermore, the film has an unexpectedly large budget—$100 million—for the movie. Even though its first and second chapters are covered by this budget, it is still a significant sum of money.
Moreover, taking place after Costner’s Yellowstone exit is one of the most risky aspects of Horizon: An American Saga. The series’ aficionados will be keeping a close eye on the two-chaptered film because the actor left the series to devote all of his attention to it.
Thus, convincing fans that Horizon: An American Saga is good enough to compensate for Costner’s departure from Yellowstone is going to be challenging. We can just hope for the film to do well enough to justify the actor’s decision to leave Yellowstone.
Chapters 1 and 2 of Horizon: An American Saga will hit theaters on June 28, and August 16, 2024, respectively.
