Kevin Costner’s epic two-part movie Horizon: An American Saga has a risky release strategy, one that recalls the plan Warner Bros. made with the first two Matrix sequels. Costner is known for his penchant for Western epics, having previously directed and starred in the three-hour Best Picture winner Dances with Wolves and more recently leading the cast of the TV series Yellowstone. He returns to directing with the Western epic Horizon: An American Saga, in which he will also star. The ambitious project is set before and after the Civil War as it depicts the expansion of the American West.
While it isn’t yet known how long the project is, the expected total runtime for Horizon: An American Saga is enough that the movie has already been split into two parts. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One and Horizon: An American Saga Chapter Two will be released theatrically by Warner Bros. one after another, similar to other two-part movies such as Twilight: Breaking Dawn and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. However, the release strategy for Costner’s Horizon is taking a greater risk, similar to something Warner Bros. attempted over 20 years ago with the Matrix sequels.
Kevin Costner’s Horizon Release Is Like The Matrix Sequels, But Even Bolder
Following the phenomenal success of The Matrix — the action sci-fi flick that broke ground in terms of both digital and practical effects and elevated what a blockbuster action movie could be story-wise — the Wachowskis attempted something much more ambitious. The filmmakers shot two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Resurrections, back to back, and they were then released just six months apart, which was and still is a very uncommon strategy. Now, Warner Bros. is repeating this plan but to a more extreme extent, as the Horizon movies will be released just two months apart.
Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One will be released on June 28, 2024, and Horizon: An American Saga Chapter Two will be released on August 16, 2024. The back-to-back release strategy made sense for the Matrix sequels because Warner Bros. banked on the popularity of the first movie. Typically, it’s best to avoid a long gap between two-part movies because viewers may forget or lose interest — a challenge Fast & Furious 11 faces following Fast X’s cliffhanger. In that respect, it’s great that Warner Bros. is striking while the iron’s hot. However, a two-month gap might be too short of a timeframe and could be detrimental to Horizon’s success.
Will Kevin Costner’s Horizon Release Plan Work?
Warner Bros. has a habit of releasing two-part movies within a short timeframe, and for the most part, it has worked well. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was released just eight months after its predecessor and the movie grossed over a billion dollars (via Box Office Mojo). However, most examples are part of massive franchises and Horizon: An American Saga isn’t part of an established IP. Non-franchise movies are always bigger risks for studios, and if the first Horizon movie isn’t a hit, there’s little chance of the sequel being successful when it’s released just two months later.
Warner Bros. might have missed an important factor. Streamers can now give initially risky movies a second chance to find huge audiences, and they can become successful after their theatrical releases. That wasn’t possible on such a big scale before the existence of streaming platforms. If the two Horizon movies had a longer gap between release dates, the first installment could grow in popularity on Max even if it bombs in theaters, and this would then prop up the second chapter’s chances for box office success. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time for that to happen in two months.
Nevertheless, based on the brave move to release the two movies two months apart, Warner Bros. must be confident in the project. Not much has been revealed about the two-part movie, but there’s a chance the studio could be sitting on another Dances with Wolves. With an incredible critical response, the first chapter of Horizon: An American Saga could potentially become a massive success, and the movie will still be in everyone’s consciousness when Horizon: An American Saga Chapter Two rolls around eight weeks later, which could be a big payoff for the studio.