The first installment of Kevin Costner's passion project “Horizon: An American Saga” will be pulled from theaters in late July after being one of the biggest flops of the year.
It's only getting worse for Costner, who has staked his fame and more than $30 million of his own fortune on the success of the Horizon film series, the first of which was not only a box office flop, but also went down in history as the first major film franchise to move to the modern equivalent of video: streaming.
The film was released on June 28th and has already been pulled from most theaters. according to “Horizon” couldn't compete with summer blockbusters like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” finishing the season in 10th place at the box office, according to Forbes.
Luke Wilson appears to have dropped major spoilers for Kevin Costner's Horizon series | Daily Caller https://t.co/zGT2s7QSF3
— Kay Smythe (@KaySmythe) March 22, 2024
Costner's first film flopped initially because no one seemed to want to go to the movies in the middle of summer, but Deadpool & Wolverine just grossed an estimated $205 million in opening weekend ticket sales, so maybe the problem is the subject matter itself.
Horizon barely made $28.8 million in the U.S. and just $2.1 million overseas.(Related article: Taylor Sheridan stars in “Lionesses”…why not give it a try?)
Costner, who seemed to think he knew the Western genre better than Taylor Sheridan, the creator of his career-defining show “Yellowstone,” told fans he was leaving the show just before its final season for a lame reason, perhaps hoping “Horizon” would shore up the rest of his run.
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 17: Kevin Costner is at 92Y on the Upper East Side in New York City on June 17, 2024. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JUNE 11: Kevin Kaye, Kevin Costner, Taylor Sheridan and Keith Cox attend the after party premiere of Paramount Pictures' “Yellowstone” in Hollywood, California on June 11, 2018. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 24: Hayes Logan Costner, Cayden Wyatt Costner, Grace Avery Costner, Kevin Costner and Annie Costner arrive at the U.S. premiere of 'Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One' held at the Regency Village Theatre on June 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)
But a new teaser for “Yellowstone” suggests that Costner may reprise his role as John Dutton one last time — and that's what he owes his fans. (RELATED: Taylor Sheridan's 'The Landman' gets official release date in 2024)
Costner's only option is to turn to streaming services; Horizon is already available in some places for a fee. Perhaps making the entire movie available for free or for just the cost of a streaming service would help Costner get back on track, but it would take a pretty big push to weather the losses.
