The world premiere for Kevin Costner‘s “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two” is back on the horizon. It’s just a little further out there than it initially had been.
The second “Horizon” film will make its world premiere out of competition at the tail-end of the 81st Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia. (“Venice,” for very short.) It will screen on the final day of the festival, Saturday, September 7, 2024.
“Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter One” will screen there on the same day; it premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Debuting his second installment at Venice has been the “dream,” Costner said in a statement.
“My dream was always to show ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Two’ at the Venice Film Festival. The fact that now they have decided to show Chapter One earlier in the day and then the World Premiere of Chapter Two that evening shows not only their belief in how the two films work together but their support of a director’s vision,” Costner said. “I’m indebted to Alberto Barbera for his courage and leadership in committing to this cinematic journey. It is with gratitude and excitement that I return to the Venice Film Festival. Long live the movies and those willing to stand for them.”
Barbera is the artistic director of the coming Venice Film Festival, which will run from August 28 through September 7.
“It is a great pleasure and honor to host the world premiere of the ‘Chapter Two of Horizon: An American Saga,’ alongside its ‘Chapter One,’” Barbera said. “This late addition to the lineup of the Venice Film Festival pays a heartfelt and respectful tribute to the visionary project of a great actor and director, who invested himself in the epic reconstruction of the years crucial to the founding of the country, digging beyond myth in search of authenticity capable of restoring a piece of history in its complex and contradictory reality.”
The “Horizon” films cover the Civil War years and the settlement of the American West. Costner stars in the movies, directs them, co-wrote them Jon Baird, and produces them through his Territory Pictures banner. New Line Cinema distributed the first film and will distribute the second, but no one has signed on for Costner’s full four-film vision. Given a paltry box-office performance ($33 million worldwide on a $100 million budget, much of it Costner’s own money) and poor critical reviews for the first “Horizon,” that plan may be up in the air — at best.
Costner has been paying the “Horizon” market costs out of his own pocket. He originally planned to shoot Chapter 3 in August — but plans are changing.
Originally, “Horizon” Chapter 2 was supposed to be released in theaters on August 16. It was pulled from the schedule after two weak weeks in theaters. We still do not have a new release date for “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two.” It is out on PVOD now and is coming to Max… at some point.
Along for the ride with Costner, Howard Kaplan and Mark Gillard also produce “Horizon” Chapter 2; Danny Peykoff, Robert Scannell, Armyan Bernstein, Charlie Lyons, Barry Berg, and Rod Lake executive produce. The director of photography is J. Michael Muro, the production designer is Derek R. Hill, the editor Miklos Wright, the costume designer is Lisa Lovaas, and the music is by John Debney.
“An American Saga — Chapter Two” also stars Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, and Danny Huston.
