Horizon Risks Reflecting Kevin Costner's 30-Year-Old Western Nightmare (But This Will Be Even Worse)
Thanks to some negative early reviews, Kevin Costner's marathon Western film series Horizon: An American Saga starts off poorly and puts him on path to repeat one of the most notorious disasters of his career. Over four films, the expansive Western adventure will thread together a sequence of linked episodes each theoretically running three hours. Horizon: An American Saga - Part 1 will open theatres on June 28, 2024; the immediate sequel planned to premiere just a few weeks later on August 16, 2024.
For Costner, who has a significant personal investment in the epic tale he has been long-developing passion project, the Box Office chances for Horizon look dismal if not completely disastrous. Although the Academy Award winner is not new to box office disappointments, if box office forecasts hold, Costner runs the risk of repeating a notably comparable failure from 30 years ago. Because of how much Costner has invested personally and professionally to bring it to life, Horizon's failure may perhaps be more than that past Western fiasco.
Horizon Could Be Another costly Western Box Office Disaster Like Wyatt Earp
Although Kevin Costner was the author of the protracted 1994 biographical Western film Wyatt Earp, the sci-fi epic Waterworld is his most well-known Box Office flop. Based on the actual exploits of the namesake U.S. Marshal, Wyatt Earp was released just a few months following the successful and praised ensemble Western classic Tombstone, which included many of the exact same characters, places, and events. Wyatt Earp barely made $56 million on a $63 million budget whereas Tombstone almost tripled its $25 million box office budget.
Kevin Costner was really scheduled to be engaged in Tombstone, but his dispute over the significance of the role of Wyatt Earp led to him developing Wyatt Earp with director Lawrence Kasdan. Ironically, many of the negative aspects of critiques for Horizon: An American Saga were also common in attacks of Wyatt Earp. The main among them was that the movie's bloated 190-minute running time hid the better aspects of it, including acting, director, and cinematography. Horizon: An American Saga - Part 1 runs 181 minutes; three further parts of the plot should go similarly. All other objections apart, a conventional Western with a duration like that stands little chance of Box Office sustainability.
Why Horizon Being A Box Office Bomb Will Be Worse For Costner Than Wyatt Earp
While Wyatt Earp was critically derided and a flop at the movie office, it did very little to fade Kevin Costner's star power. He rebounded back in the next several years with the classic sports flicks Tin Cup and For Love of the Game, and he has remained one of Hollywood's true A-listers in the last two decades. Horizon: An American Saga's failure would be far more terrible for Costner than Wyatt Earp owing to the damage it could do to him both emotionally and professionally.
Kevin Costner has notoriously poured millions of his own cash into the project, including mortgaging coastal land that he owns to put the funds together to produce the first two sections of Horizon. A box office failure would be financially terrible for the actor/director/producer, and could effect whether the next two chapters of the saga can even be finished. Costner has already began filming Part 3, which means even more money is going into the project before the first two parts have even hit theaters.
From Success to Uncertainty, Kevin Costner's Recent Western Efforts
Kevin Costner is famed for his work in Western films, yet the success of Horizon remains doubtful. His recent western endeavors have brought him both critical and movie commercial success. His 1990 epic, Dances with Wolves, was a critical and commercial triumph, earning him an Academy Award for Best Director. Costner's The Untouchables (1987) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) also earned a place in the Western film hall of fame.
However, his 1994 Western, Wyatt Earp, was a major box office disappointment. Horizon may repeat this failure, with many industry experts predicting that the film will struggle to make back its production costs. With Costner's reputation on the line, it's a high-stakes gamble that could potentially reshape his career. Horizon, if successful, will add a new chapter to his legacy of Western films. But if it fails to meet expectations, it could leave a lasting stain on Costner's resume.
Horizon: An American Saga: An Epic Journey
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is a Western film directed by Kevin Costner, and sees him in the starring role. The film explores multiple generations surrounding the expansion of the American West before and after the Civil War. Horizon is the first in a series of four films, all of which were greenlit by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Horizon is a grand and ambitious project, with Costner's commitment to authenticity and his passion for the Western genre evident in the film. However, the film has faced a barrage of negative early reviews, casting doubt on its box office prospects. The future of the Horizon movie series is uncertain, with the success of the first two chapters hanging in the balance. The Horizon release date is just around the corner, and it's a pivotal moment for Costner's career. If Horizon succeeds, it will be a testament to Costner's vision and his commitment to the Western genre. But if it fails to resonate with audiences, it could have a significant impact on his legacy.
