Kevin Costner Always Wanted 'Horizon' Chapter 2 to Debut Months Later
Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga will be split into two parts this summer. Part one, now streaming, introduces the sprawling cast of characters—played by Costner himself, Sienna Miller, and Luke Wilson, among many, many others. Part two was originally scheduled to come out later this summer, on August 16, 2024, but there's been an eleventh-hour change of plans.
In early July, Costner’s production company Territory Pictures and Horizon's distribution partner New Line Cinema announced that they were pulling Chapter 2 from its August debut date. The move is reportedly aimed at growing the audience for the saga in advance of the second film.
"Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema have decided not to release Horizon: Chapter 2 on August 16 in order to give audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of Horizon over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and Max," said a New Line spokesperson. "We thank our exhibition partners for their continued support as moviegoers across the U.S. discover the film in its theatrical run."
While the last-minute change has caused much murmuring online, Costner told E! News in mid-August that he had always envisioned a longer pause between the premiere of parts one and two. "I didn't ever imagine [the releases] six weeks apart, it was always four months, or six months. But the studio saw an opportunity, they thought it could be something."
He added that the shift in schedule allowed the film to screen at the Venice International Film Festival, where he had always hoped the film would premiere. "They won't show a movie if it's already been played. So, one thing happens—and the next, I get this other thing to happen."
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Two will be debuting out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival on September 7, 2024, with a screening of the first film (which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival) taking place earlier in the day.
"My dream was always to show Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Two at the Venice Film Festival," Costner said at the time of the announcement. "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."
So far, no dates have been announced as to when Chapter 2 will debut worldwide or in what format—in theaters or direct-to-streaming.
Per the official description, Horizon "explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won — and lost — through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America."
Part one of Horizon, called "chapter one," ends with a montage previewing part two. The film is divided into two parts because Warner Bros. and Costner want to make it a "theatrical event." Costner has said he hopes moviegoers will be given the opportunity to watch them back-to-back.
"Together with Kevin, his team and his phenomenal cast, and our partners at New Line Cinema, we intend to make Horizon the theatrical event of the summer," Jeff Goldstein, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Domestic Distribution, said in a statement. "As vital a part of cinema’s history as Dances With Wolves is, we believe Kevin only scratched the surface of that period, and we are thrilled to see him present an even deeper, more expansive view with these powerhouse stories."
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