Kevin Costner had been wanting to make Horizon: An American Saga for decades, and he was recently finally granted the opportunity by New Line Cinema.
Reports state that the 69-year-old has poured his heart and soul into the project that he co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in. The first two parts are set for release this year, and they will be followed by another two entries in the saga later.
Costner Capitalising On Popularity Of Westerns
Despite wanting to make these movies for a long time, it may be beneficial that Costner had to wait. The Western genre is arguably as popular as it’s ever been in the mainstream, and there is likely to be a huge audience ready and waiting for this picture.
The online bingo at Paddy Power gives a good indication of what’s hot in popular culture, and there are various Wild West-themed games to choose from on the site. One of the top games is Slingo Money Train, which features all the traditional tropes associated with the Western genre. With such a vast number of people playing Slingo games, developers have to opt for themes that they know will attract a lot of people. The common use of Westerns highlights what a big draw they are for these sites.
Western themes have also been used in countless other modern entertainment offerings. Television series like Fallout and The Last of Us have combined Western elements with apocalyptic themes. The Mandalorian is a Western set in space, while Yellowstone is a modern Western. The genre is thriving, meaning it’s the perfect time for Costner’s films to be released.
First Two Pictures Out This Year
There’s no doubt that Costner’s new movie series is set to be epic. The first film will clock in at nearly three hours of running time, giving viewers a rich and detailed immersion into this period of American history centring on the American Civil War. The first picture will be swiftly followed by the second a couple of months later, meaning there’s not long to wait to see the story play out.
According to World of Reel Costner is planning to shoot the next two instalments to Horizon: An American Saga this summer. It would have been reasonable to think that the studio would be tempted to wait to see how the first two pictures performed at the box office before making any more. However, there seems to be a lot of confidence in this project, and it is going ahead full steam.
This new saga has the potential to be some of Costner’s finest work, as it’s clear he has put his all into making it as polished as possible. Dances With Wolves is considered to be the best film he has directed to date, but these new offerings could blow that out of the water. Along with the four pictures in the saga, there’s also the potential for the franchise to expand in other ways. This could be done through television spinoffs or games.
