If you’re going to leave the most popular show on cable television the same year that you win the Golden Globe? You better have a good reason. For Kevin Costner, it’s an epic western film franchise titled Horizon: An American Saga—which he hopes will rival the success of his other epic western franchise, Yellowstone.
Financing most of the marketing and distribution himself, Costner will release Horizon through Warner Bros. next summer on June 28, 2024. “Chapter Two” will follow soon after, just two months later on August 16, 2024. Horizon will star Sam Worthington, Sienna Miller, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Hayden Church. The story will cover a 15-year period of the American Civil War, covering the expansion of the West and the abuse of Native Americans. But why did Costner need to leave Yellowstone?
Why Costner Left Yellowstone
For starters, Costner and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan have reportedly been battling behind the scene. Costner allegedly promised Sheridan just a week of his time to finish filming the rest of Season Five.
After Paramount decided that Costner would not return to the series, the two then beefed over how Costner’s character will be meet his end. The Yellowstone patriarch reportedly holds some sway over his exit due to a contract clause, but everything has been held up by the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The actor was also splitting his professional duties between Yellowstone and Horizon, which may have affected his personal life. A source close to his wife, Christine Baumgartner, revealed in an interview with People that she asked him for a divorce after she became “unhappy” with his work schedule. Later, at divorce court, he threatened to sue Paramount once the debacle was over.
But Costner has only doubled down on Horizon since leaving Yellowstone. “I’ve mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house,” he told Deadline. “I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a f*cking conniption fit. But it’s my life, and I believe in the idea and the story.”
What’s the Plan for Horizon?
Horizon is no small feat, though. Last June, he told Variety that he plans to split the epic western into four films, filmed back-to-back. “Four different movies,” he confirmed. “They’re all different films that all connect, so you’re watching a saga of these storylines that are happening.” Check out the first “trailer” for Horizon above, which features 30 seconds of Costner firing a rifle three times before the title card appears.
“I’m not a gambler,” Costner told Deadline. “People might look at this and say, Oh, this is a gamble. And I go, Well, I guess it is, but do I want to go to Vegas and gamble? No. I’m not that kind of gambler. I gamble on the love of story. I’m gambling on people, in a sense. I can’t make them go to the theater, but if they get there, I’m going to try to take care of them the best I possibly can.”