The reports of the demise of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga have been greatly exaggerated. Costner’s epic Western franchise, which he hopes is five movies long, got off to a rough start when the first film flopped just weeks ago. The sequel, which was completed and ready to release in August, got pulled from the schedule. Some have taken this to mean it would never be released, but clearly Costner has other ideas.
The sequel, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two, will make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival which starts on August 28th. In addition, Chapter One will play earlier in the day prior to the premiere.
“My dream was always to show ‘Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two’ at the Venice Film Festival,” Costner said. “The fact that now they have decided to show ‘Chapter One’ earlier in the day and then the world premiere of ‘Chapter Two’ that evening shows not only their belief in how the two films work together but their support of a director’s vision. I’m indebted to Alberto Barbera for his courage and leadership in committing to this cinematic journey.”
Showing the film at Venice suggests that Warner Bros. and Costner want Horizon to have a future. They’ve stated the reason for pulling the sequel was to let as many people as possible see the first chapter on streaming. At three hours in length, the film could be easier for audiences to watch at home.
We’re pretty invested in the future of Horizon, if only because he is so excited over his passion project. He’s got a big, high-profile premiere coming up, so let’s see if that helps keep it alive.
