Kevin Costner’s Epic Western Horizon Faces an Uncertain Future, Says Co-Star

Horizon: An American Saga, Kevin Costner’s ambitious Western project, was originally planned as a four-part epic. But according to one of its stars, Sam Worthington, the saga’s future is anything but guaranteed. Though the full story has been written, Worthington revealed that its continuation hinges entirely on how audiences respond.

“That was Costner’s passion project — he’d been working on it for 10 years,” Worthington shared. “The passion is always there, but sometimes it’s just about whether it’s the right time for people to embrace it.”

Worthington, who appears in Chapter 1, confirmed that he’s read all four scripts. But for now, the project is in limbo. The first film — released in June 2024 — didn’t make much of a splash at the box office. As a result, Chapter 2, once slated for an August 2024 release, has been shelved indefinitely. Despite the rocky start, Chapter 1 has quietly found success on streaming, drawing in new fans impressed by its scale and ambition.

Costner, who famously stepped away from Yellowstone to focus on Horizon, poured more than $100 million of his own money into the project. Inspired by his past Western successes like Dances with Wolves and Open Range, Horizon tells a sweeping story of settlers, Native tribes, outlaws, and dreamers navigating the unforgiving landscape of the 1860s American frontier.

The film features a sprawling ensemble cast and covers everything from wagon train journeys to inner conflicts within Apache communities. J. Michael Muro’s cinematography captures the vast beauty of the American West, while John Debney’s score lends the film a mythic grandeur — clear signs of Costner’s deep commitment to the story.

Even if the saga doesn’t move forward, Chapter 1 stands strong on its own — a rewatchable, self-contained epic. Fans continue to rally behind the project, and actor Danny Huston has said, “There’s no stopping it.” Still, the question remains: Will audiences embrace it enough to see the full vision brought to life?