Kevin Costner Admits First ‘Horizon’ Movie ‘Didn’t Have Overwhelming Success’

Kevin Costner is speaking candidly about his Horizon film series.

On Saturday, Sept. 7, the actor, 69, spoke with reporters at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, where he discussed the world premiere of his new movie, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, and why its original Aug. 16 release date was scrapped.

Costner explained that the decision to delay the second film’s release came down to the performance of Chapter 1, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and was released in theaters on June 28.

“It didn’t have overwhelming success,” he said, per Variety, before noting, “I’ve had a lot of movies that way, that have stood the test of time.”

Costner went on to explain that the studio behind the film made the “decision” to release Chapter 2 six weeks after the first film’s release, before they backtracked and decided “not” to release it on Aug. 16.

The actor’s company, Territory Pictures, and the distributor, New Line Cinema, announced that they were changing their strategy for the second film’s release on July 10.

Still, Costner noted that he was happy that things turned out the way they did.

“For me, it fell back into my plan, which was I always wanted to come out with movies about five-six months apart. And that was going to allow me to come to Venice,” the actor said, according to Variety. “I would have never come to Venice, because they won’t show the film here if it was already out.”

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Costner added that Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera was “the biggest reason” they were able to show the project at the Venice Film Festival, and he praised him for “bringing this here.” 

“… [He] gave me my dream and didn’t allow it to be squashed,” Costner said. “F—, Venice keeps coming to my rescue!”

Costner wrote on Instagram on July 31 that the festival’s decision to host the second Horizon movie’s premiere and screen the first movie earlier in the day “shows not only their belief in how the two films work together but their support of a director’s vision.”

“I’m indebted to Alberto Barbera for his courage and leadership in committing to this cinematic journey. It is with gratitude and excitement that I return to the Venice Film Festival,” he wrote at the time. “Long live the movies and those willing to stand for them.”

In addition to Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jeff Fahey, Will Patton, Tatanka Means, Owen Crow Shoe, Ella Hunt and Jamie Campbell Bower all costar in the large ensemble across his two Horizon movies.

The two-time Academy Award winner additionally said at Cannes in May that he was actively filming the series’ third installment.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 does not yet have a release date.