Kevin Costner Western Flop Is Big Hit On Max
When Yellowstone star Kevin Costner announced that he would be parting ways with the Taylor Sheridan-created series, fans didn’t know what to think. But then it came out that the multi-talented creative was forging his own path with what he hoped to grow into a film franchise tied to the American West. Although it proved to be one of the year’s biggest flops, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, starring and directed by Kevin Costner, is now burning up the charts as the top movie on Max.
Kevin Costner’s Ambitious Western
It didn’t shock many to learn that the plot of Horizon was all about the years of the Western Expansion, as Kevin Costner has returned to explore that period over and over again. The first film, which was released into cinemas back in June, introduced audiences to a group of folks looking for their piece of the pie after leaving their lives in the eastern states behind to strike out for the prospect of more land and opportunities out West. Set in 1863, during the middle of the American Civil War, Horizon shows just how tough one had to be to survive during those turbulent times.
An Elite Crew Was Assembled For This Western Saga
When finding the cast for Horizon, Kevin Costner had his pick as his decades of working in the industry allowed him to become close to many fellow performers. The first installment included appearances from the likes of Sienna Miller (American Sniper), Sam Worthington (the Avatar franchise), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead), Danny Huston (The Crow), Jena Malone (The Hunger Games franchise), Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things), and Giovanni Ribisi (Gone in 60 Seconds).
Will Streaming Save The Future Of The Film Series?
Clocking in at three hours in length, the first installment may have driven people away from seeing it in cinemas due to its runtime alone. For those who can’t sit through something so lengthy, streaming opens up another door of opportunities. And, in the case of Horizon, the Kevin Costner-helmed feature got a fresh set of eyes on it when it made its Max debut just last week.
Through the premiere title in the Horizon saga, Kevin Costner was hoping to bring audiences into the theater but the box office numbers show just how uninterested potential audiences were. Against its $50 million production budget, Horizon only managed to lasso in $34.3 million, not even breaking even by the time it left cinemas. For this reason, the future of the film series is up in the air.
Chapter 2 And Onward
Financing much of Horizon from the funds in his own bank account, Kevin Costner took quite the risk by leaving the steady paycheck that came with his leading role in Yellowstone and breaking out on his own. And in the case of the sophomore installment, there’s no going back as the first two Horizon films were shot back to back, with the second set for a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
As of right now, the second movie hasn’t set its wide theatrical release but it is expected that Horizon – Chapter 2 will gallop onto the big screen before the end of the year.
Streaming Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 On Max
Beyond the follow-up Horizon film, Kevin Costner has been playing it coy when it comes to the third and fourth films that will fill out the story. Although he plans to complete the project as he envisioned it, Costner says that the team has hit a few road bumps along the way, but still expects filming to be done early next year.
Start the story from the beginning and watch Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 directed by and starring Kevin Costner now on Max.
