It looks like there’s more bad news on the horizon for Kevin Costner as he and New Line Cinema have agreed to pull the second chapter of his ambitious western Horizon: An American Saga from its August release.
The first chapter of Horizon was released at the end of June, but has had disappointing box office numbers as well as reviews since its release. It only made $11 million its opening weekend off a $100 million budget and subsequent weekends made significantly less. Chapter 2 was set for an August 16th release, but according to The Hollywood Reporter Costner’s company Territory Pictures and New Line agreed to pull the film from its release to give audiences a longer chance to discover Chapter 1. They already began notifying cinemas of the change before making the announcement.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 will still play in theatres, but to help bolster its audience it will be released on digital video and streaming services on July 16th. A release on Max, the streaming service owned by New Line’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, is inevitable but unknown if it will be available on Max on July 16th as well or on a later date.
“Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema have decided not to release Horizon: Chapter 2 on August 16 in order to give audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of Horizon over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and MAX. We thank our exhibition partners for their continued support as moviegoers across the US discover the film in its theatrical run,” New Line said to THR.
“The audience response to Horizon, and enthusiasm for seeing our story continue in Horizon 2, has been incredibly gratifying,” Costner’s Territory Pictures said. “Kevin made this film for people who love movies and who wanted to go on a journey. The support that we have received from film fans, and the theater owners, as they experience the first chapter of this saga only serves to reinforce our belief in them and the films that we have made, and we thank them for coming on board for the ride. We welcome the opportunity for that window to be expanded as we know it will only serve to enhance the experience of seeing Horizon 2.”
Both Horizon chapters were made for $100 million each with Costner fronting much of his own money to the budgets. These films have been a big passion project for him, enough so that its part of the reason why he left Yellowstone and will not return for its final season when it premieres this fall. Costner has intended to make four films total in his Horizon saga with THR noting he plans to resume production on Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3 in August.
A new release date for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 has not been selected as yet.
Academy Award-winning visionary filmmaker Kevin Costner directs New Line Cinema’s vast “Horizon: An American Saga” Chapters One and Two, a multi-faceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. A story of America too big for one film, this true cinematic event also stars Costner, who co-writes with Jon Baird (“The Explorers Guild”) and produces through his Territory Pictures.
In the great tradition of Warner Bros. Pictures’ iconic Westerns, “Horizon: An American Saga” explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won—and lost—through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.
Horizon: An American Saga stars Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Tim Guinee, Danny Huston, Colin Cunningham, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Will Patton, Georgia MacPhail, Douglas Smith, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jamie Campbell Bower, Alejandro Edda, Wasé Winyan Chief, Michael Anganaro, Angus Macfadyen, Jon Beavers, Alex Nibley, Kathleen Quinlan, Etienne Kellici, Amos Jason Charging Cloud, Bodhi Okuma Linton, Gregory Cruz, James Russo, Jeff Fahey, David O’Hara, Chris Conner, Leroy M. Silva, Bernardo Velasco, Tom Everett, Glynn Turman, and Giovanni Ribisi.
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