Kevin Costner Says ‘Horizon’ Will ‘Play For The Next 50 Years’

The second “Horizon” film was removed from the August theatrical calendar due to the first installment’s flopping. Still, it will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.

Kevin Costner has a lot riding on the saga’s success, as he has put about $38 million of his money into its production.

Costner is sharing how proud he is of his “Horizon” film project despite the negative reception of the first movie in the four-part Western saga.

The actor spoke to E! News about the franchise and shared that he is used to people being “dismissive” of him and his work but knows the film will have a lasting impact.

He said, “I’ve faced life with people being dismissive of me. But they can’t be dismissive of ‘Horizon’ because now it’s out of their hands. And they might point to the finish line – well, this is what it did at the box office – but I know that this movie is going to play for the next 50 years.”

Costner shared that it’s the kind of movie parents will be showing their children in years to come. He claimed it would help them “to understand that this is what their [ancestors] went through” and described the saga as “not just a Western, it’s a history of migration and what they had to do to survive.”

After the first film’s poor performance, the second Horizon movie was removed from the August theatrical calendar to give the project more time to build an audience.

However, “Horizon 2” will not get its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, during which the first movie will also screen.

While speaking to E! News about the world premiere, Costner noted that it was a “nice development.”

He said, “They understand that it’s a saga. That part is exactly how I imagined it. I didn’t ever imagine [the releases] six weeks apart, it was always four months, or six months. But the studio saw an opportunity, they thought it could be something. I don’t feel that anymore.”

Despite the “Horizon 1” bombing at the box office and the removal of “Horizon 2” from the August theatrical calendar, Costner seems already invested in producing chapters three and four of the franchise.

During an interview in May, he hinted that he would proceed with the production of his films even if “Horizon 1” did not receive much viewership.

He said at the time, per Deadline, “Well, the reality of that is the film lives and whatever are the viewing habits. I own it for the rest of its life. And every five years, license them around the world. Relicense them here in America.”

“The difference is I own that because of the risk I’ve taken,” Costner continued. “Why is Vegas there? It’s for all the people that lose to the house. Why are studios there? It’s because those movies continue to make money, well beyond their opening weekends.”

In the meantime, no announcement has been made regarding the theatrical release date for “Horizon 2.” Additionally, Warner Bros. and New Line did not acquire distribution rights for the third and fourth movies, which suggests Costner may have to seek other partners.

The first film in the “Horizon” saga debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May and failed to make up to half its estimated $100 million budget.

According to The Numbers, the film only garnered $1.4 million in international ticket sales to bring its worldwide box office total to $28.4 million.

Costner has a lot riding on the success of the saga, as he’s confirmed the rumors that he personally invested in the production of the films.

He told GQ, “I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie. It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number.”

Costner also suffered collateral damage from his role in “Yellowstone,” which will return for the second half of its final season without him later this year. The actor reportedly chose the Horizon movies over his commitments to “Yellowstone,” but he’s denied the claims.

The star of the hit Paramount Network series “Yellowstone” took to his Instagram account to share an update on the reprisal of his John Dutton character on the show.

“An update for you guys. I’ll see you at the movies,” he captioned the video post.

“I want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future,” he said.

Costner continued, “It was something that really changed me. I loved it. And I know you loved it. And I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning and I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop and I’ll see you at the movies.”