Summary
Kevin Costner’s highly-publicized exit from the massively popular Western dramaYellowstonefor his passion projectHorizon: An American Sagais beginning to look like a poor decision, thanks to a mounting pile of problems for the upcoming movie.Horizon: An American Sagais planned to be a four-part epic, with Parts 1 and 2 releasing just six weeks apart in the summer of 2024, andfilming for Part 3 already underway. However, the future of the entire saga may be in jeopardy before the first movie even hits theaters.
Thanks in part to a litany ofbad reviews for Horizon: An American Saga - Part 1, the movie is poised to be a massive failure at the box office.Horizon’s budget has reportedly swollen to $100 million for just the first two parts, withCostner pitching in a massive amount of his own moneyto make the project a reality. Unfortunately, the first in his planned series of four movies is projected to make back only a fraction of the overall budget, and could prove that it was a massive mistake for Costner to leave his hit Taylor Sheridan show.
Horizon’s Projected Box Office Struggles Explained
The film is projected to make a shockingly low amount
Early box office projections forHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1have dropped precipitously over time, with the latest projections indicating thatthe film will only pull in $12 million on its opening weekend. That would be a disastrous opening for the sprawling Western epic saga, as the project would be on pace to potentially lose money from the jump. Althought filming is already underway for the third part, the series would stand a chance of never being completed if the box office projections hold true.
The movie’s setup as a traditional Western simply may not have the public interest to be a box office success in 2024.
Awful early reviews are only part of the equation forHorizon’s looming disappointment.The American box office has been particularly soft in 2024, with many blockbusters falling short of initial projections, includingFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga,The Fall Guy, andThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Those three movies are highly relevant toHorizon, as they likely share a large chunk of its target audience.
That’s not the only way thatHorizonis struggling, either. The movie’s setup as a traditional Western simply may not have the public interest to be a box office success in 2024, even with the 35+ demographic. As the saga is not an adaptation or based on any existing franchise or IP,awareness of the first movie is tracking poorly, and with a limited marketing budget that doesn’t figure to turn around in the final days leading up to the film’s release.
Horizon’s Box Office Projections Make Kevin Costner’s Decision To Leave Yellowstone Look Worse
His abrupt departure was highly criticized
Rumors of behind-the-scenes issues atYellowstoneranged from outrageous schedule and salary demands on the part of Costner to bitter disagreements between Costner and the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan. While some of those elements may have played a role, Costner’s given reason for his exit was his desire to pursueHorizon: An American Saga.His mid-season departure from the show was criticized by manywho felt that it was a poor decision to leave a highly successful prestige drama to pursue what many saw as a risky vanity project.
1990
$366.6 million
1991
$329.8 million
1992
$246.8 million
1995
$170.2 million
1987
$163.6 million
The decision to leaveYellowstoneforHorizonalways held the potential to be personally disastrous for Costner. Now, with box office projections and critical reception looking dismal,his decision seems even more foolish.Yellowstoneis poised to end after the final half-season airs in late 2024, meaning it will end prematurely based on the show’soriginal 7-season plan. Although Costner has since revealed he’s open to returning to the show, his role in the final season remains uncertain, and seems as though it will be minimal, if it exists at all.
Is There Still Hope For Kevin Costner’s Horizon Movies?
The saga will need to turn around quickly
Lack of awareness, terrible reviews, and poor box office projections for the first two parts ofHorizon: An American Sagacast doubt over whether the saga will be finished at all.The massive and exciting cast ofHorizonwill probably not be enough to bring audiences to the theaters, but there may be hope for the four-part series.It will need to have legs at the box office to stand any chance of continuing, as Costner won’t be able to fund the project’s completion without the support of a strong box office showing from the first two parts.
Ironically, one of the possible saviors ofHorizon: An American Sagacould in fact beYellowstone. The show’s incredible popularity proved thatthere is still an appetite for Western drama with the modern viewing audience, and it’s that very same audience that could turn out forHorizon. That audience’s familiarity and affinity for Costner could go a long way towards getting them to the theater for the first part ofHorizon: An American Saga, but admittedly the prospects for the saga look dim.
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.
