The first installment of Kevin Costner’s passion project “Horizon: An American Saga” is being pulled from theaters in late July after becoming one of the year’s biggest flops.
Things just keep getting worse for Costner, who bet his reputation and more than $30 million of his own money on his movie franchise “Horizon” being successful. Not only did the first chapter of the four-part saga utterly flop at the box office, but it is going down in history as one of the first major film franchises to go to the modern-day version of video: streaming.
The movie opened on June 28 and is already being pulled from most theaters, according to Forbes. “Horizon” finishes up its run at No. 10 in the box office, after failing to compete with summer blockbusters like “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Luke Wilson Seemingly Drops Huge Spoiler On Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’ Movies | @DailyCaller https://t.co/zGT2s7QSF3
— KAY SMYTHE (@KaySmythe) March 22, 2024
At first, it appeared that no one wanted to go to the movies during the thick of summer, leading to Costner’s failure with this first movie. But since “Deadpool & Wolverine” just grossed an estimated $205 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend, the problem is probably the subject matter itself.
“Horizon” barely dragged in $28.8 million in the U.S. and just $2.1 million internationally.(RELATED: Taylor Sheridan Is Casting For ‘Lioness’ … You Want Your Shot?)
Costner seemed to think he knew the Western genre better than Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Costner’s career-defining show “Yellowstone.” He told fans he ditched the series right before its final season, citing a bunch of nothing reasons, probably banking on “Horizon” carrying him through the rest of his time on camera.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 17: Kevin Costner is seen at 92Y in the Upper East Side on June 17, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JUNE 11: Kevin Kay, Kevin Costner, Taylor Sheridan and Keith Cox attend the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “Yellowstone” after party on June 11, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Hayes Logan Costner, Cayden Wyatt Costner, Grace Avery Costner, Kevin Costner, Annie Costner, arrives at the US Premiere Of “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” at Regency Village Theatre on June 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)
But a new teaser for “Yellowstone” suggests Costner may have to reprise his role of John Dutton one last time. And he absolutely owes this to the fans. (RELATED: Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ Gets Official 2024 Release Date)
The only other option Costner may have is to lean into streaming services. “Horizon” is already available in a few places for a premium. Perhaps once the full film drops for free — or just the cost of the streaming service — he’ll see a second wind. But it would have to be a pretty big one to carry him through his losses.
