Kevin Costner’sHorizonhas finally landed a U.S. premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February, but that doesn’t mean that the future of the franchise beyond that point is now certain. In fact, withCostner’s funds having reportedly run dry,Chapter 3is currently stalled with no guarantee of continuing unless the director can get more cash together. For that, he is reportedly hoping for aNetflixhandout.
While Costner has already committed a reported $100 million of his own money to the project, along with additional funds being provided by other individual backers, the poor performance ofChapter 1in cinemas did not exactly bathe the franchise in glory as a good investment. But it looks like the first movie’srecent strong performance on Netflix, which followed a chart-topping appearance on Max, has given Costner hope of bringing the streaming giant onboard to help him complete his four-movie plan.
According toLife & Style, a source who has worked onHorizonwith Costner explained that the idea that Western saga’s mastermind is not phased by everything that has been happening with the movies is ridiculous, as he is feeling the pressure very much. They said:
“Kevin is good at projecting calm, experience and a generally level head, but behind the scenes the whole Horizon project has been stressful to him financially, physically and even intellectually.”
Could Netflix Step in and Bail Out Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’?
Kevin Costner’sHorizonwas originally planned as a streaming TV series until the incredible success ofYellowstoneand the riches it brought the actor led to him pivoting to a big screen venture instead. According to the same source, the failure ofHorizonto deliver at the box office last summer really confounded Costner, and he is now looking at all options available to allow him to complete the project. They added:
“Kevin and his team need it to perform [on Netflix] because right now, Netflix is the only company with deep enough pockets to completely bail him out of the hole Kevin has dug for himself with these movies. It’s a big check to write, but if the first movie continues to perform well for Netflix’s viewers, the expectation around town and even within Kevin’s Hollywood circle is that Netflix will eventually step up and buy the rights to the whole series and take Kevin out of debt.”
Kevin Costner’s Emotionally Determined Speech Fails to Hide His Doubt Over Horizon Chapter 3
Kevin Costner spoke ahead of the premiere of Horizon - Chapter Two about his need to continue the saga.
Of course, this is a long way from a certainty.Horizon - Chapter 2will likely receive a theatrical release sometime in the next six months, and with the first movie having now been seen by millions in their own homes, more people could be inclined to venture out into cinemas to catch the second part on the big screen. If the new installment is a runaway success, then things could all change overnight. If it continues to struggle likeChapter 1, then Costner could indeed be reliant on the suggested intervention of Netflix to stop his Western dream becoming a nightmare.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
