After the poor performance of the first installment,Horizon: An American Sagamay not get the chance to play out the way Kevin Costner intended, which means the director needs to rework his project quickly.Horizon: An American SagaisCostner’s latest film endeavor, which is a four-part series set in the American West before, during, and after the Civil War. Though the actor has enjoyed a fairly versatile career,Horizonis firmly rooted in the Western genre, which is one of Costner’s best. Yet,despiteHorizonbeing Costner’s passion project since the 1980s, the franchise’s future is unsure.
Horizonis on uneven footing because of how the first installment was received. Released in June 2024,Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1had a fairly disappointing performance, both financially and critically. On a budget of $50 million, the movie only grossed $38 million at the box office. Furthermore, the movie earned a mixed 51% on Rotten Tomatoes,with some critics praising Costner’s sweeping Western frontier while others pointed out that nothing really happened in the three-hour epic. The firstHorizonmovie was made to set up its three sequels, yet those continuations may never happen.
Combining Horizon Chapters 3 & 4 Is The Most Likely Way Kevin Costner Can Finish The Story
The Horizon Filming Timeline Explained
AfterHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1’sdisappointing performance, it is unclear whether the franchise will get its full four movies. In this way,Costner needs to make some alterations to the burgeoning franchise’s story so that all of it gets told, even if Chapter 4 never happens. The best way to do this is for Costner to combine Chapters 3 and 4 into one movie. In this way, if Chapter 4 gets canceled, the franchise will still get its ending. Audiences, and Costner, will not be left hanging with no chance of bringing the story to its planned conclusion.
Kevin Costner Emotionally Addresses Horizon’s Future After Chapter 1’s Disappointing $36M Box Office
Kevin Costner shares his intentions for Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 3 in an emotional speech after Chapter 1’s disappointing box office.
At this point, there is still time forHorizon’sfinal two movies to be condensed into one film.Horizon: An America Saga - Chapter 2has already been made and premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in September 2024, but production on Chapter 3 is only a few months in. Apparently, Chapter 4 is also in development. Depending on the reaction to Chapter 2, it may be wise forCostner to start planning a new route for theHorizonfranchise wherein Chapters 3 and 4 can be easily merged if needed.
Condensing Horizon Into A Trilogy Would Risk Compromising The Story
Horizon Has A Slow Pace For A Reason
One major problem that comes withHorizoncondensing Chapters 3 and 4 is that it could seriously hurt Costner’s story. IfHorizonwas always meant to be four movies, then it may be challenging to get all 3 and 4 into a single film. Undoubtedly, events and conflicts would have to be cut for time.This could not only hurt the quality ofHorizon’slater movies, but it could also damage the integrity of the franchise as a whole. Costner clearly has a vision for the franchise, and changing it could be catastrophic.
This slow pace definitely hurt Chapter 1, but it also implies that there is a massive story Costner is waiting to deploy.
It is clear thatHorizonhas a very particular story in mind because of how Chapter 1 played out.Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1was rather slow and spent a lot of time setting up characters who will presumably do more things in the later movies. This slow pace hurt Chapter 1, but it also implies that there is a massive story Costner is waiting to deploy.Chapter 1’s unhurried build-up is a sign thatHorizonhas much more to offer, and if it doesn’t have the proper amount of time, then this potential story could easily flop.
Cutting Horizon Into 3 Movies Would Be Better Than Chapter 4 Not Getting Made
Horizon Deserves An Ending In One Way Or Another
Despite the risks, it would be much better forHorizonto get a rushed endingrather than no ending at all. Costner has dedicated so much time and effort to this franchise that it would be a shame if he never got to carry out his plans. On top of that, audiences have become invested in the story Costner has built, and to leave them on a cliffhanger would be a disappointment.Having threeHorizonmovies instead of four isn’t ideal, but it is the lesser of two evilsin this difficult situation.
Unfortunately, the likelihood ofHorizonmerging Chapters 3 and 4 is entirely unclear. As previously mentioned, it seems like the movies are both in separate modes of production at the moment, which implies they are not being merged. This way,Costner is likely hoping that Chapter 2 does much better than Chapter 1 did. There is no telling until the movie actually comes out in late 2024 or early 2025. Thus,Horizon: An American Sagais at the precipice of success or failure, and only time will tell where the franchise falls.
Horizon: An American Saga
“Horizon: An American Saga” is a series of epic Western films directed, produced, and co-written by Kevin Costner. The saga spans pre- and post-Civil War America, detailing the exploration and settlement of the American West over 15 years, and follows multiple storylines of fictional characters as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of this tumultuous period.
