Kevin Costner is set to take on four different responsibilities this summer, as a director, co-writer, producer, and a leading star in his two-part theatrical franchise, Horizon: An American Saga. With the plot of the film series surrounding the American West during the Civil War period, Costner is once again set to appear in a Western drama.
While the actor holds high hopes for his Horizon saga, there might be one star who would be less than impressed with Kevin Costner’s upcoming Western film series. It’s none other than Lily Gladstone, who previously offered her harsh criticism for Yellowstone, ahead of starring in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Kevin Costner’s Horizon Saga Holds High Stake at the Box Office
Turning into one of the biggest stars in the modern era of Westerns, Kevin Costner is repeatedly leading all kinds of Western projects, including the hit TV show Yellowstone. Yet again, the actor associated himself with a unique project Horizon: An American Saga, which dropped its first trailer in 2024.
Set to be split into two parts, Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 will hit theatres on June 28, 2024, and Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 is scheduled on August 16, 2024. Although relatively little is known about the plot of the films, ScreenRant reported that the films will explore American West expansion before and after the Civil War.
As of now, Kevin Costner has a lot at stake at the box office because of the way he put a lot of financial eggs in one basket to get Horizon produced. Considering this issue, finance expert Eric Schiffer weighed in on the Oscar winner’s big movie risk to Fox Business, as he believes that it’s a “threat to the estate of Kevin Costner” and “it’s the financial kiss of death”.
Further, pointing out Kevin Costner’s hunger for Western projects, publicist Doug Eldridge claimed that although the actor is meeting the demands of the Western films that are currently enjoying a comeback, the genre is “not for everyone”. Therefore, there’s a great risk of failure. But it seems Costner is unfazed by the opinions and is quite hopeful about his film.
Lily Gladstone’s Harsh Criticism for Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone
Nonetheless, while Kevin Costner appears positive about the success of his Western film series, Lily Gladstone might once again express her disappointment in the project. Previously, the Oscar-nominated actress had gone vocal about her dissatisfaction with the lack of diversity in Western films, including Yellowstone.
Ahead of starring in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone told Vulture how she had “auditioned several times” for the neo-Western drama Yellowstone. Calling out the rarity of Indigenous stories told on screen, Gladstone reasoned her audition as a lack of choice, while slamming the show as “delusional! Deplorable!”
“No offense to the Native talent in that. I auditioned several times. That’s what we had.”
Therefore, given her previous experiences, it seems her criticisms might impact her reception of Kevin Costner’s Horizon saga. Although this time, the film series is being marketed as a more inclusive and diverse Western epic, which will adequately represent the experiences of Native Americans and other marginalized groups, Costner’s vision might not align with the expectations of Lily Gladstone.
