Kevin Costner's Western series, Horizon: An American Saga, has faced a setback as the release of its second chapter has been delayed following the underperformance of the first installment at the box office. Both Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema have decided to give audiences more time to discover Horizon: Chapter 1 before releasing Chapter 2.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, which hit theaters on June 28, reportedly cost over $100 million to make but only managed to pull in $11 million during its opening weekend. Costner personally invested about $38 million in the film and had intended on making a total of four films in the series.
Despite mixed reviews from critics, Costner expressed his enthusiasm for the project and believed that audiences would respond positively. However, it appears that not enough people went to see Horizon: Chapter 1 in its initial release to warrant a quick follow-up with Chapter 2. The first film will now be available on PVOD on July 16, with a Max release date yet to be announced.
Costner began production on the third film in mid-May and key members have already received the script for Chapter 4. It remains unclear when Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 will be released in theaters or if it will also go straight to PVOD like its predecessor.
The delay of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 is a blow to Costner, who had previously quit the popular drama series Yellowstone to focus on this project. The actor and director has not commented publicly on the situation but it's likely that he remains committed to completing the series.
The first chapter of Horizon: An American Saga received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising Costner's performance and others finding the film slow and meandering. The New Yorker called it 'a modern television series awkwardly edited into feature form,' while Entertainment Weekly noted its three-hour runtime.
Despite the initial disappointment at the box office, Costner remains optimistic about his Western saga. In a statement to Variety, Territory Pictures expressed their belief in the audience's response and thanked theatergoers for their continued support.