An American Saga Footage Highlights Massive Scale Of Kevin Costner’s Western Epic At CinemaCon

Summary

• New footage of
  Horizon: An American Saga
  has been shown at CinemaCon, revealing more about Kevin Costner’s Western epic.
• The two-part movie is set in the mid-1800s during the US westward expansion, and is split into two “Chapters” for release in 2024.
• The film was conceived by Costner in 1988 and will cover a 12-year time period with an ensemble cast of characters.

New footage from Horizon: An American Saga has been shown at CinemaCon, revealing more of what to expect from Kevin Costner’s Western epic. The two-part movie follows an ensemble cast of characters in the mid-1800s, as the United States begins its expansion westward. It will be split into two “Chapters,” with both movies arriving in theaters later in 2024.

Now, Warner Bros. has revealed new footage of the upcoming Horizon: An American Saga movies at CinemaCon, revealing more about the upcoming Western. Introduced by Costner, who confirmed the movies will take place over a 12-year timeline, the footage spotlights the large ensemble cast assembled for the project, including Danny Huston, leader of a group of Union soldiers, Michael Rooker, Sam Worthington and Luke Wilson, who leads a group of civilians in their journey. The footage also spotlights the high stakes of the movie with its multiple shootouts and a child burying a loved one.

Horizon Is Kevin Costner’s Most Ambitious Movie Yet

Costner Is Creating A Multi-Part Saga

Costner’s Western epic is decades in the making, with the actor first developing the film as one movie in 1988, before it expanded into a multi-part saga. While he’ll be starring in the movie alongside its ensemble cast, he also directs both parts and wrote and produced the films. While Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 have confirmed release dates, Costner has previously stated his intentions to make four films out of the original concept.

The new footage shown from the film emphasizes the risks Costner is taking with Horizon, crafting a massive saga taking place across more than a decade of time. However, he’s proven himself a talented director before with the films Dances with Wolves and Open Range, both of which are Western epics in their own right. The fact this has been a passion project of his since the late ’80s means it will reflect a story he’s always wanted to tell, and can finally portray on the big screen the way he’s always wanted to.

The high stakes of the film also reflect the Civil War time period, showcasing the ruthless and dangerous world Costner’s magnum opus is set in. Given when the movies are set and how much lawlessness will be a prevalent theme, Horizon could lead to a Western revival by embracing tropes of the genre in a massive undertaking of a story. With the first two parts of the film coming out later this year, it won’t be long until the star’s decades-long work is finally available to watch come to life.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
arrives in theaters on June 28.
Chapter 2
comes out in theaters on August 16.