Kevin Costner’s new movie Horizons: An American Saga – Chapter 2 held its U.S. premiere at the 40th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 7. The film is the second of four anticipated movies in the saga, a passion project that has been in the works for Costner since 1988. Costner directed, produced, wrote, and starred in the film, reflecting the devotion Costner has to seeing this project to completion. The red carpet beforehand featured stars such as Costner and Luke Wilson who gave interviews on their performances in the film, as well as a surprise visit from director Quentin Tarantino. 

Costner has always been enticed by the concept of Westerns and migration since the West was deemed a “Garden of Eden” for those living in Civil War-torn America. While it was viewed as a paradise and a promise of fortune for those making the journey, the land was contested and White migration was a nightmare for the Indigenous people already inhabiting the area. Costner aimed to create a story that captured the balance between these two aspects of the American West. “It was a struggle. There was beauty and there was heroism,” Costner said. 

The thing that sets Horizons apart from other Westerns is the emphasis on including women’s stories in the film. “I was always bothered that we didn’t have women in westerns,” Costner said of his decision to feature women so heavily. “When we were creating this story we could not keep women out of it.” This sentiment was felt by the female-dominated cast, who regularly pointed out how unique this feature was of films set during the time period. 

One of the biggest goals of the production was to stay true to the time period and the history of the Native Apache whose land was being inhabited. Costume designer Lisa Lovaas consulted Western artists such as Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington in order to create the most accurate costumes for the cast. Composer John Debney scored different musical themes for the multiple storylines in the film, allowing the audience to have a unique perception of each plotline. Costner gave nods to directors John Ford and Lawrence Kasdan in the creation of the film, taking what he considered to be the best parts of their Westerns and incorporating them into Horizons. “I wanted to move away from the corny…I find so much drama in the American West,” Costner explained.

The first film in the saga came out in June 2024, and was widely regarded as a box office flop, sitting at a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Chapter 2 was originally set to be released in theaters in August of 2024, but the release date was postponed until further notice to allow for more people to stream Chapter 1. While the film hasn’t had the reception it hoped for, Costner is determined to complete the series, as he has been attempting to create the saga since 1988. He concluded the film Q&A by saying, “Thank you for honoring film and filling this theater.”

[Costner speaks to The Forge prior to the Horizons premiere Image Credit: Avalon McElroy]