Despite a disappointing start, Kevin Costner wants to remain confident about the future of Horizon : An American Saga -Chapter 1.
To say that Kevin Costner is playing big with the western saga Horizon would be an understatement. Of the $100 million needed to bring the first two parts of this crazy project to fruition, The actor-director invested more than $38 million of his own moneygoing so far as to mortgage one of his properties. In the best of all possible worlds, Horizon will consist of four episodes, but at this stage, only the first two parts are funded. The third part is already being filmed and the fourth is still looking for financial resources.
La machine Horizon is already on track, with a second part expected on August 16 in theaters across the Atlantic (and on September 11 in our country). In any case, financial disaster or not, the director has already prepared for a potential fiasco. Aware of the risks incurred by a project of such magnitude, All that seemed to matter to him was to complete his artistic magnum opus. and resurrect the western. And no matter the losses.
A very modest start for Horizon
According to the figures of Varietyduring its first weekend of operation at the domestic box office, the first Horizon : An American Saga only grossed $11 millionwhile it was distributed in 3,334 American theaters. The film did not match the figures of A Quiet Place – Day One, which grossed $53 million, and fell far behind Inside Out 2 and its nearly $100 million.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly On June 28, 2024, Kevin Costner spoke about this lackluster launch. Despite the high budgetary stakes, The actor-director appeared quite calm, even philosophical. regarding this situation.
“I’ve experienced this before with films and their number of admissions on the opening weekend. If you put too much pressure on yourself, you’re bound to be disappointed. I’m very happy that Horizon looks like what I had imagined, and that’s how it will remain throughout its existence. And that’s what was important to me.”
Drinking and Misadventures
The director may have shown a certain distance from these figures, but the fact is that he clearly expressed that he created this film so that it would be successful, and in the cinema (he had refused to make a series of it). And that it would do his ego the world of good. Even if for him, the important thing was to be able to create a film that corresponded to his artistic ambitions.
“Would I like it to be a big, huge success? Of course, I would like that. My ego would like that, everybody would like that. But what makes me happiest is that the movie that you and I are talking about is what I want it to be.”
Kevin Costner has suffered some serious setbacks in his career. As a director, he faced the fiasco of The Postmana post-apocalyptic film with a budget of $80 million, which had struggled to bring in $20.8 million at the global box office. As a “simple” actor, how can you not go to the Berezina Waterworld, Mad Max A $175 million, unfunny sailor that reportedly grossed $264 million. But once marketing and distribution costs were factored in, it was a disaster.
Yet, behind the camera, Mr. Costner was able to offer beautiful moments of grace. In addition to the monument Dancing with the wolvesson Open Range dating from 2003 (another western), had enjoyed great critical success and brought in $68.3 million at the global box office, for a modest initial budget of $22 million. Brought back to the budget ofHorizonthe success ofOpen Range doesn’t even cover Costner’s initial investment.
The first two chapters of the saga Horizon will be released this year in French theaters: Horizon : An American Saga -Chapter 1 July 3, 2024, and its continuation Horizon : An American Saga – Chapter 2 September 11, 2024.
