Summary
Kevin Costner’s highly anticipated new Western movie franchiseHorizon: An American Sagamay already be doomed. Despite earning a positive audience score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes,critics have been mixed onHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, which was released in theaters on June 21, 2025. In roughly two weeks since its wide release,Horizonhas earned roughly $24 million worldwideagainst itsreported budget of $100 million, 38% of which was self-funded by Costner. This may spell trouble for a franchise that’s anticipated to be extended into a four-part movie series.
Costner’s vision for hisHorizonfranchise has always been ambitious but he had been willing to place a big bet on himself in his first directorial effort since 2003’sOpen Range. The heavy 3-hour 1-minute runtime ofHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1may have provided one of the strongest cases for audiences to wait until the film becomes available torent and purchase at home on July 15. Still, the disappointing opening weekend box office of the firstHorizoninstallment is undeniably concerning after its weak $11 million start andsets up a potential disaster for the upcoming second chapter set to be released on July 19, 2025.
Horizon: An American Saga’s Ending & How It Impacts Chapter 2 Explained By Kevin Costner
EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Costner explains the ending of Horizon: An American Saga and how it impacts Chapter 2, hinting at what’s next for its ensemble cast.
Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1’s Box Office Is Not Improving
Horizon already has a set VOD release date to help stop the bleeding
Typically, disappointing box office numbers of this caliber would quickly dispel any immediate notions of an impending sequel.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1had a 50% drop in its worldwide box office on its second weekend. While this alone isn’t bad for a big budget movie, it still needed a less significant decrease to have any chance of saving the film’s box office performance. Typically, disappointing box office numbers of this caliber would quickly dispel any immediate notions of an impending sequel. However, considering that Costner has already produced, funded, and set a release date for Horizon’s sequel,it creates an incredibly unusual circumstance for him and his once-promising franchise.
The lackluster box office performance ofHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1isn’t aided by its mixed reviews and 48% Rotten Tomatoes critic score. Richard Brody ofThe New Yorkerwrites in his review, “The three-hour Western, the first installment of a planned tetralogy, rushes through its many stories and straight past American history.” Brian Lowry ofCNN.comwrites, “Nobody has done more to keep the western flame kindling on the big screen than Kevin Costner, but the audacity of his latest rodeo feels like overreach, if not outright folly.“Many critics agree the film did not live up to its hype.
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A new report breaks down Kevin Costner’s personal investment in Horizon: An American Saga and how much the movie needs to earn for him to break even.
Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2’s Imminent Release Is A Problem
There seems to be very little momentum heading into Chapter 2’s August release
The unfortunate truth that Costner must face is thatthe back-to-back release of his first twoHorizonfilms in the same summer may turn out to work againstthe franchise’s prosperity. It’s pretty clear that there’s little immediate interest in the first movie based on the box office as it currently stands, so it’s not exactly plausible to think there would be a sudden increase in interest for the firstHorizonwhen the second film comes out roughly a month from now. Now that the firstHorizonis headed for a swift VOD release, it may be the lifeline that the franchise needs in order to draw fans to theaters in August.
Like many new releases nowadays,box office and immediate VOD at-home revenue can combine to paint a better pictureof the otherwise disappointing theatrical performance. Additionally, Costner’s fans have likely gotten quite used to watching him in the comfort of their homes onYellowstoneover the past few years and may actually prefer to wait for theHorizonfilms to become available on their televisions rather than flock to a movie theater. Unfortunately, it’s too soon to know whether Horizon will become the successful franchise it was promised to be, but its VOD numbers need to give it a huge spike.
I’m Surprised By How Long Horizon: An American Saga Makes You Wait For Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner is the director and leading star of his Horizon: An American Saga blockbuster although it takes a while before his onscreen appearance.
Horizon 3 & 4 Look Even Less Likely To Happen Now
Horizon 1 & 2 must be profitable for 3 & 4 to happen
The question is, who is going to jump aboard now to fund Costner’s anticipated sequels after the box office flop of its first installment?
Costner still certainly has a lot of influence over the future of hisHorizonfranchise, but at the end of the day,it will come down to whether or not these films will become profitable. Costner struggled to attain financing for the first two films and had to put a whole lot of money up to make his passion project realized on the big screen. The question is, who is going to jump aboard now to fund Costner’s anticipated sequels after the flop of its very first installment, especially in this increasingly timid Hollywood atmosphere? Costner may find a way to keep churning out hisHorizonfilms but it may cost him more than it’s worth.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Cast
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is set in 1859, following families as they settle in territories from Wyoming to Kansas. The narrative centers around a cowboy on the run with a prostitute and a young boy after a deadly confrontation, exploring the challenges of life in the Old West.
