Kevin Costner has a new western on the way, but it’s not Yellowstone. Following his departure from the Paramount+ series, the actor has released the trailer for his upcoming movie, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, in which he directs and stars.
“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,” teases the synopsis.
Slated for release on June 28, Kevin’s stellar ensemble cast includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jamie Campbell Bower, Alejandro Edda, Wasé Chief, Michael Anganaro, David O’Hara, Chris Conner, Leroy M. Silva, Bernardo Velasco, Tom Everett, Glynn Turman, Giovanni Ribisi and more.
A milestone project for Kevin, Horizon marks his first time directing since the 2003 western epic, Open Range. It’s also described as a driving force behind his departure from Yellowstone.
Following rumors of a rift between Kevin and Yellowstone creator, Taylor Sheridan, it was reported that the actor had walked away from the series to work on Horizon – which he intends to make into a four-part saga. The second film will premiere on August 16, while the third has entered production.
In an interview with Deadline, the A-lister even admitted to mortgaging his 10-acre Santa Barbara home to invest millions into the budget. “I did it without a thought,” he said. “It has thrown my accountant into a [expletive] conniption fit. But it’s my life, and I believe in the idea and the story.”
According to Kevin, the idea for the film franchise has been over 30 years in the making. Speaking to Forbes in February, the 69-year-old raved: “I think that it’s a western that really leans on its language than its gunpoint. There’s plenty of action in Horizon – more than you can imagine.
“For me, it’s really interesting to watch how the lines of law get crossed – what’s right, what’s wrong really doesn’t matter. It just sometimes comes down to survival, and there’s people out there that understood there was no law and were very willing to take advantage of other people. That is real drama to me. Why I want to bring it to film was to try to bring it in a way that’s not cliché. It’s a story where you might see yourself.”