Apparently, when the idea for Horizon: An American Saga was first coming together Kevin Costner was absolutely insistent on a theatrical release for each part of the finished work. Well, when your budget is over $100 million and you only pull in $30 million at the box office, you then go where you are told.
With mixed reviews from critics and audiences, and that disappointing box office take, it is now rumored that Horizon will be heading to Netflix if it continues in any form at all.
World of Reel reports that Netflix has made an offer to acquire the franchise and partially fund the in-production Chapter 3, and the as-yet not-confirmed Chapter 4. Chapter 2 remains in post-production already.
The plan would then be to release each chapter several months apart on Netflix, and then potentially continue beyond this as an episodic mini-series. This all hinges on agreement from Costner.
Costner and Netflix have previous, having worked on The Highwaymen. That was a solid success for Netflix.
The plot for Horizon centers around fictional characters and takes place in pre- and post-Civil War America. It details the exploration of the American West. Depicting a twelve-year span, the movies feature an ensemble cast portraying various characters and their experiences pioneering into new territory from their homes.
Kevin Costner began developing the script for the film series as early as 1988, which he based on his personal belief that Americans should be inspired by the true history of America in the Old West.
It has been a struggle for Costner to realise his dream, as the development of the project was impacted by the turmoil in both the industry and his private life. This included the COVID-19 impact on productions, the death of his parents in 2021, scheduling conflicts including a contract dispute with Paramount Pictures and Taylor Sheridan on the final season of Yellowstone, a divorce with Christine Baumgartner, and the writers’/actors’ strikes of 2023.