Why Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’ movies will be released in two-month increments – The Hollywood Reporter

Horizon starring Kevin Costner

Warner Bros.

Kevin Costner’s horizon Finally, yes, it’s on the horizon.

On October 5, Warner Bros. announced the first film in a planned four-part project, with the actor-director’s Western blockbuster (brief trailer below) on its schedule. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 The release date for the third film is currently unspecified, but production is expected to begin after the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved. This decision was made when Costner was leaving Paramount Pictures, another western. yellowstoneamid some OK Corral-level hostility between him and studio and showrunner Taylor Sheridan.

back to back horizon The release strategy is bold and virtually unprecedented for a major Hollywood title. Warner Bros. sources point to Clint Eastwood’s 2006 World War II film. flag of the fathers and Letter from Iwo JimaAs an example, these were released approximately 2 months apart (but horizon movie, letter was not a direct sequel to flag).And Costner would probably think, flagThat’s a shame considering the domestic sales were $33 million (about $50 million in today’s dollars). yellowstone It became a huge hit in TV ratings.

Additionally, executives believe the unique twist will help the photo break through the clutter and feel like an event that excites the audience. This is a logical assumption born out of the summer Babenheimer phenomenon.

The project’s ambition naturally recalls Costner’s three-hour directorial debut, the 1990 Western. dances with wolvesAlthough the film was viewed with suspicion by the media (one industry insider famously predicted it would be a “Costner folly”), it was a box office hit and won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.similarly Wolf, Costner is literally betting on the ranch this time around — he said he used his Santa Barbara home to help finance the epic drama produced by his production company, Territory Pictures. In recent court documents regarding his divorce from Christine Baumgartner, Costner revealed that he personally invested at least $20 million and deferred his fees.

work on horizon — Co-authored by Costner and John Baird (filth, Tetris) — was actually created before the release of . Wolfits origins reportedly date back to 1988, and Mr. Costner has been working to make the project a reality ever since (at one point, horizon installed at Disney).

The plot spans four years of the Civil War and, according to the official logline, “depicts the lure of the Wild West and how it was won and lost through the blood, sweat, and tears of many people. “Exploring.” The film, which will be shot in Utah, is said to have a cast of more than 170 people and will co-star Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Michael Rooker. Director Costner said the story’s total running time would be approximately 11 hours.

Despite a 35-year development schedule, surprisingly few details about Costner’s character or story have been released. But Mr. Costner has let slips and pieces slip in his past interviews.

In 2003 he said: horizon “Faster-paced and with a younger cast” than the last Western he directed open range (The domestic box office that year was $58 million, about $96 million today), and described it as “one of those famous types of movies.” Magnificent Seven” And in 2016, “This is just a story about how towns came to be in the West… We debunk it.” [myths] About things. “And in 2022, it will feature women trying to survive in an incredibly harsh world.”