Horizon: An American Saga

Horizon: An American Saga is a film series that consists of four planned American epic westerns directed, co-written, and produced by, as well as starring Kevin Costner, from a script he co-wrote with Jon Baird and based on an original story co-authored by Costner, Baird, and Mark Kasdan. The plot centers on fictional characters and takes place in pre- and post-Civil War America, and details the exploration of the American West. Depicting a twelve-year span, the movies feature an ensemble cast portraying various characters and their experiences pioneering into new territory from their homes.

Development
Kevin Costner began developing the script for the film series as early as 1988, which he based on his personal belief that its viewers should be inspired by the true history of America in the Old West. Over the years, Costner continued to develop the script from originally co-starring two lead actors to featuring a complete ensemble cast. Costner explained that by further expanding the script into a series of four individual movies, he wanted to depict accurately the journey that the United States took over a 12-year span while also showing the impact that the American Civil War had on the country, while drawing an audience into the movie-going experience in the process. Costner later explained that the plot will depict the experiences that Native Americans had, when immigrant settlers moved into their territory with a justification that they had paid European salesmen for the land.

In 2003, Costner had entered negotiations to produce the movie with The Walt Disney Company. During the pre-production stage, however, he discovered that the studio had different limits on a production budget than what he required, and so he walked away from having his project created under their banner. In 2014, the filmmaker expanded plans for the series with a trilogy of movies planned. Development continued over the years, until Costner collaborated with Jon Baird on the script in 2012 where it developed into four separate movies; the contents and story of which would intentionally be darker than his previous westerns. Despite the lack of major production studio initial involvement, Costner invested $38 million of his own money into the budget with additional funding supplied by two unnamed investors, and the filmmaker became determined to begin production as quickly as possible. In May 2024, Costner confirmed that the Horizon film series will be at least four installments, while explaining that the production and release schedule of the first two movies was in part due to his personal desire to see the script realized before his life is over; while also wanting to ensure that his son Hayes could play the character he had written for him, before outgrowing the part. Later, Costner detailed the various events in his life which had delayed the realization of the movies, including the COVID-19 impact on the film industry, the death of his parents in 2021, scheduling conflicts including a contract dispute with Paramount Pictures and Taylor Sheridan on the final season of Yellowstone, a divorce with Christine Baumgartner, and the writers'/actors' strikes of 2023. Despite these occurrences, the filmmaker expressed his determination to "work...to get this thing finished."

Contrary to the various reports that stated otherwise, Costner rejected the idea that the development of the film series directly influenced his departure from the Yellowstone television series. The filmmaker explained that the final season had been restructured multiple times and was subjected to various production delays, which conflicted with the production schedule on the prioritized film series. Citing an example with the lack of completed scripts for a last season which would be split into two separate parts, Costner stated that he is open to completing additional photography to finish his role in the series. However, the filmmaker stated that when rewrites for the show were ongoing, he allowed Sheridan to read the script for the Horizon movies with hopes that it could inspire, while also previously offering to provide assistance in writing his character out of Yellowstone in a climatic death scene. He reportedly offered to give some time off from his movie production schedule to do so, but these options have never materialized.

When addressing the various festival debuts of each installment (Cannes Film Festival for Chapter 1, and Venice Film Festival for Chapter 2), Costner expressed interest in returning to Cannes for Chapter 3. Costner later explained plans for additional monetary gains through licensing the film series every several years through streaming and home video media, regardless of their box office performance. Working with Warner Bros., plans are for each chapter to release four to six months after the previous installment. The filmmaker later stated that he developed the series of films, with the quality of classic westerns in mind, and though he has considered developing additional sequels set during contemporary times, Costner determined that the series will end with Chapter 4; expressing hopes that families will go to theaters together to view each installment upon their release.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)
In January 2022, it was announced that Kevin Costner would direct his third feature film, from a script he co-wrote with Jon Baird. Costner will produce the project, with principal photography scheduled to take place in August of the same year in Utah. The project will be a joint-venture production between Territory Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and New Line Cinema, while Warner Bros. will serve as distributor. In June 2022, the star and filmmaker stated that filming his project in the state has long been his goal, with scouting in the state already taken place. Later that month, Costner revealed that his project had evolved into four "different films that all connect, so you're watching a saga of...storylines[.]" Production was in the casting phase of pre-production, with photography scheduled to start later that year. Each movie is intended to be 2 hours and 45 minutes in length, with the filmmaker stating that once all the movies are released, they will be compiled and re-released as a miniseries on television.

Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jamie Campbell Bower, Luke Wilson, Thomas Haden Church, Jena Malone, Alejandro Edda, Tatanka Means and Michael Rooker have been cast in various roles in the film series. In September 2022, Isabelle Fuhrman was cast in an undisclosed role. By November of the same year, principal photography had wrapped. In May 2024, it was revealed that the Writers Guild of America had awarded credits for the first two movies to Costner and Jon Baird as screenwriters from an original story co-authored by Costner, Baird and Mark Kasdan.

In October 2023, the official title was announced as Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. The first trailer debuted, revealing a June 28, 2024 release date.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 (TBA)
In June 2022, Costner announced that Horizon will be a series of four films. Principal photography is scheduled to commence in April 2023, with subsequent installments filming back-to-back. Chapter 2 will be released three months after Chapter 1. In November 2022, Costner stated that his son had been added to the cast, while principal photography is slated to commence in spring of 2023.

Filming began in April 2023, with Glynn Turman, Kathleen Quinlan and Giovanni Ribisi joining the cast. Costner, Miller, Worthington, Ella Hunt, Will Patton, Wilson, Fuhrman and Church would reprise their roles from the previous film. The director-of-photography and editor would return from the previous film as well. Production on the second movie commenced concurrently with the third, in Utah by May 2023.

In June 2023, Fuhrman expressed her admiration for Costner as an actor and a filmmaker, while confirming that production on all the movies in the series would be conducted back-to-back. One month following the completing of principal photography, Costner began filming the montage sequence that will feature at the end of the movie to provide insight into the events of Chapter 3. In October 2023, the first trailer debuted with the movie's official title reveal. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, which was originally set to be scheduled for an August 16, 2024 release. However, it was announced that the release date of this film had been indefinitely delayed until further notice.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3 (TBA)
In June 2022, Costner revealed that the film series will consist of four distinct movies. Principal photography will take place beginning in April 2023, concurrently with its predecessor and its sequel. It is intended that Chapter 3 will be released approximately three months after the second movie, with Costner explaining that he would like to see each installment debut in a with a similar amount of time between each release. Production on the untitled third movie commenced concurrently with the second, in Utah by May 2023. Production of the third film was paused due to the writers' and the actors' strike. In October of the same year following the debut of the trailer and poster for Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, it was confirmed that work on the sequels is ongoing.

In February 2024, amidst post-production on the first two installments, Costner commenced building a new production company named Territory Film Studios in Utah. Production on the third and fourth movie will begin later that year. By April of the same year, Costner confirmed that the scripts are complete for the four separate films. In May 2024, casting calls for background actors had commenced; while production was slated to begin later that month in St. George, Utah. Later, it was reported that production initially commenced in 2023, before progress halted in part due to the writer/actor strikes. One month following the completion of the previous installment, Costner began filming a montage sequence that features scenes from Chapter 3. Costner stated that principal photography commenced on May 13, 2024; explaining that production had initially been planned to commence on April 25, before being moved to May 6 in order to accommodate funding.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 4 (TBA)
In June 2022, Costner announced the Horizon film series will be made up of four films. Following completion of the previous installments, production will begin on the fourth movie. In February 2024, it was announced that principal photography would start in Utah concurrently with the third movie, later that year. By April of the same year, Costner announced that the scripts are completed for each installment of the film series.