Despite Horizon: Chapter 1's Opening Weekend, I Don't Think We Should Write Kevin Costner's Epic Off Just Yet

Looking forward to the world of 2024 movies, there were a good number of eyes on Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga. Stories of the multi-faceted creator’s personal investment into Horizon's planned four movie saga stoked the fires of anticipation, while also having some wary of the potential opening weekend take. With Horizon: Chapter 1’s box office debut raking in only $11 million, the press seemed to write off this massive story before it’s even begun.

Personally, I think that’s an unfair notion, and I have several reasons why I see that to be true. So if you haven’t seen the movie, fret not, because there will be no spoilers for the Horizon: An American Saga plot. However, there’s going to be a lot of discussion into the moving parts people should consider for this unique case of moviemaking.

With that in mind, let’s talk about why Horizon deserves some extra slack in this modern movie market.

Horizon: An American Saga Is A Movie That Can Afford To Have Legs

As I’d specified in my Horizon: Chapter 1 review, going into this film with the knowledge that it’s only a quarter of the total story at hand is vital to your enjoyment. That sentiment also extends to how we should be looking at the box office, as this first movie can afford to have a little room to stretch at the box office. With Horizon: Chapter 2 already done, dusted and ready for release on August 16th, there’s more leeway than usual for Kevin Costner’s series to perform at the box office, especially if his diehard fans start the right word of mouth campaign.

The Estimated Budget For Horizon’s First Two Chapters Is Surprisingly Low

You’d think that for a huge sprawling Western such as Horizon: An American Saga, the budget would be a sky-high disaster. Believe it or not though, the first two movies are only estimated to have incurred a $100 million budget. It seems wild, but considering the practical nature of the film’s handcrafted world, and how it’s spread across four movies worth of action, it kind of makes sense.

If that holds true for the next two chapters, Mr. Costner may have given Warner Bros. a bargain by making four movies for the cost of roughly one Marvel Studios production. In that perspective, $11 million on the domestic front alone doesn’t seem that bad, especially with Kevin Costner fronting some of the costs.

Kevin Costner’s Own Investments Into Horizon Help Cushion

Normally, marketing would be another expense that would have to be accounted for when putting out a film like Horizon: An American Saga. But surprisingly, Mr. Costner has apparently put up the money for that expense entirely, as part of those personal investments. According to a GQ interview with Kevin Costner, he’s contributed $38 million of his own money into Horizon’s lifeblood.

With that burden lifted off of Warner Bros. back, that widens the margin for success. Whether that expense is only for the first two films, or for all four movies in general, is uncertain. However, one could assume that so long as the full set goes into production, Costner will pour as much as he needs into the hat to get to the finish line.

Word Of Mouth For Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 Could Boost Future Box Office

Again, there’s room for longer box office legs when it comes to Horizon: An American Saga. And since there’s already three more installments lined up, with Chapter 3 in production at the moment, it’s not like audiences have to worry about getting invested into something that won’t pan out.

Though the next couple of weeks are replete with big ticket movies like Deadpool & Wolverine that live or die by their first frames, Horizon: Chapter 1 has room to take the slow path and build stronger word of mouth within the fanbase that’s primed to love it. Also, any newcomers who want to refresh themselves for Chapter 2 will be able to revisit the first movie in theaters, which adds a nice double dip factor to the mix.

Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone Fanbase Is Set To Make These Movies A Streaming Hit

I hate to say this, as I am as staunch a defender of the cinematic experience as Kevin Costner is, but Horizon: An American Saga is already set up with one hell of a backup plan. No matter what the eventual box office picture shakes out to be, the people that have made Yellowstone a TV and streaming hit are going to undoubtedly flock to Horizon once it goes digital. That’s probably part of why the series has been allowed to go as far as it has in terms of actual production, as the eventual benefit through at-home viewing is too tempting to pass up.

With all of that in mind, I’m here to say that it’s way too early to call Horizon: An American Saga a flop. As an untested property without pre existing source material, and with another chapter on the way, it just seems way too unfair to judge this movie as we would the upcoming Marvel movies that have so much background in the can already.

I also side with Michael Rooker’s defense of Horizon’s box office, as this movie is so unique in what it’s trying to give to the audience at large that it seems people need to rediscover long form storytelling over a franchise’s worth of films. Sometimes you’ve got to roll the dice, show up to the theater and take a chance on something that could be your next favorite adventure.

So if you’re even mildly curious about what Kevin Costner has put down here, I highly recommend you go see Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, which is currently playing at a theater near you. It’s truly cinematic storytelling that’s worth the effort to track it down, and I don’t think you’ll regret it if you’re already a true blue Costner fan. That's why you should also check out our ReelBlend interview with Kevin Costner, as he goes further into the history that helped make Horizon a reality.