What is this?
Horizon: An American Saga is an epic three-hour feature-film about the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West, written, directed, starring and co-produced by Kevin Costner.
According to the synopsis, this film spans the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865 and ‘explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won – and lost – through the blood, sweat and tears of many.’ The multifaceted story is ‘told through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.’
The film is also known as Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, with three other chapters in the works so that the entire series covers 15 years.
Who stars in Horizon: An American Saga?
Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Australian Sam Worthington and Giovanni Ribisi star alongside an ensemble cast which includes Australian Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road), Will Patton, Jena Malone, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Ella Hunt, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Tim Guinee, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Alejandro Edda and Jaime Campbell Bower.
Read: Donald Sutherland: Hollywood didn’t know what to do with him
Who’s the director?
Kevin Costner, who seems to be involved in almost every aspect of this very personal film that he’s been working on since as early as 1988.
Horizon is Costner’s first return to directing since the 2003 critically acclaimed hit Open Range. The film revisits Civil War-era America, the setting for his 1990 blockbuster and directorial debut, Dances with Wolves, which won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Who wrote Horizon: An American Saga?
Costner co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Baird (The Explorers Guild).
What’s the country of origin?
USA.
Where was Horizon filmed?
Primary locations were in the USA’s Southern Utah and red rock landscapes of the town of St George.
What’s the production company?
Costner’s Territory Pictures.
Who are the producers?
Costner produces produces alongside Howard Kaplan and Mark Gillard, with Danny Peykoff, Robert Scannell, Armyan Bernstein, Charlie Lyons, Barry Berg and Rod Lake executive producing.
What does Costner have to say about it?
As quoted in the press notes, Costner said: ‘I have a giant love for my movies and what they can be. I was interested in the story that I wanted to tell. I put on the hat of being a financier, using my own money, mortgaging my own property, taking that risk to follow my own dream.’
What do the critics have to say about Horizon?
The press notes report an eleven-minute standing ovation at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival where Horizon premiered. It’s early days, but critics are so far divided, with most noting the sprawling length and ambition which may have lent itself more to a TV series than a feature film.
Bob Strauss of the San Francisco Chronicle said: ‘It’s a semi-profound if not exactly original concept, sometimes articulated in that hamfisted-yet-poetic way Costner’s worked since his still-greatest directorial statement, Dances with Wolves.
Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune said: ‘Horizon, so far, anyway, is more about a certain set of movie memories than a movie of its own.’
Where and when can I watch Horizon: An American Saga?
The film opens in cinemas, fittingly on American Independence day, 4 July, distributed by Warner Bros. It will be available to stream later in the year, exclusively on Stan on 26 September.
