“Struggling In All Categories”: Box Office Prospects For Kevin Costner’s Horizon Reportedly Getting Worse
Summary
The $100 million first installment of Kevin Costner’s Western movie epicHorizon: An American Sagais projected to have a dismal start at the box office. He became a Western hero thanks to his 1990 Oscar-winnerDances With Wolves, going on to star in less-successful genre entriesWyatt EarpandOpen Range. Now over 30 years after riding the Western form to box office and Oscar gold, Costner is back in the saddle withHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, the first part of a planned four-film epic.
It may make little difference to Costner’s plans forHorizonto span four movies, but the first chapter of the saga is looking like a flop, as the $100-million movie is projected to gross just $12 million in its first weekend of release (viaTHR). Tracking has Costner’s Western return finishing second behind the horror prequelA Quiet Place: Day One.
What Has Costner Said About Horizon’s Potential Box Office?
Though Warner Bros. is distributingHorizonin the US, Costner largely financed the project himself, saying recently that he has to date sunk $58 million of his own money into hisWestern moviesaga (with much of the rest covered by foreign sales). Speaking toEmpire, Costner talked about the risk involved with spending so much of his own cash on the project, but struck a confident note when discussing the film’s prospects of finding an audience over time.
“I understand. I’m not a fool, but I’m not afraid I will own this movie the rest of my life. So will my family. And movies are a lot more than their opening weekend. They have value throughout their life, and I will own this movie throughout my life. And people will find it. And when they do, whether it’s opening weekend or not, they’re going to find a quality. They’re going to find a story that they’re going to want to revisit or share with someone. And that’s the power of a movie to me.”
It’s possible thatHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1will out-perform projections, as WB unleashes more advertising in the weeks leading up to the film’s release, creating more awareness among Costner’s fans. Even if the movie flops, Costner is going ahead with his four-part saga, withChapter 2set to arrive on July 04, 2025, andChapter 3currently in production (as Costner himself recently confirmed).
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1releases on June 28
Costner has faith thatHorizon: An American Sagawill find an audience, even if it takes time for that to happen. The reality is that movies are mostly judged by their opening weekends at the box office, and the first chapter ofHorizonis on track to be a massive dud. Costner is no stranger to flops, after the notorious bombsWaterworldandThe Postmanhelped sink his career as a bankable lead actor. But Costner is still not gunshy, putting his money where his mouth is by covering much of theHorizonsaga’s budget himself.
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.
