Kevin Costner’s Horizon becomes a Netflix hit in the US
2024 was a year where two veteran filmmakers backed themselves and their high-profile passion projects, staking the enduring nature of their status as a means of circumnavigating the lack of studio support for their projects.
One such filmmaker was Kevin Costner, whose Horizon: An American Saga released its first installment in cinemas in the summer of 2024. Despite the film boasting some thrilling set pieces and undoubted widescreen grandeur, it failed to tempt audiences into cinemas in the numbers that it needed to get the planned third and fourth installments of the saga off the ground.
Still, given his track record of triumphing against the odds, you’d have to be pretty foolhardy to bet against Costner ultimately finding a way to tell the rest of Horizon: An American Saga. The next installment of the film, Chapter Two is shot and happening. But with Chapter One having now arrived on Netflix in the US and finding itself receiving a very warm welcome, those who wrote Costner’s project off after Chapter One‘s box office numbers were revealed might have been a wee bit premature.
Since launching on Netflix, Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter One is number two on the streamer’s charts, no doubt finding a place on the TV screens of many a Yellowstone fan. The film’s 190 minute runtime is also likely a factor here, with audiences preferring to view the film in an environment that boasts comfier seats and the ability to pause the action for the inevitable toilet break.
There were stories a few months ago that suggested that Netflix was looking to partner with Costner for the third and fourth chapters of Horizon, although given the streamer’s reluctance to release projects theatrically, it seemed to be something of a non-starter. Still, could the success of the film on the streamer’s platform change either side’s mind? We’ll have to wait and see but given the clear appetite for the film that is now emerging, we’d imagine that the mountain towards Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Three and Chapter Four just got a little less steep.
You can hear Simon chat to Kevin Costner and the film’s composer, John Debney about Chapter One‘s reception and much more on the Film Stories podcast right here. Chapter Two is set to release at some point this year, with a premiere at Venice Film Festival in September and when we do hear more about the series’ future, we’ll let you know right here.
