Stephen King Calls Out the MCU While Defending Kevin Costner’s Horizon

Acclaimed author Stephen King is coming to the defense of Kevin Costner and his new movie Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 following the negative reactions to the movie from both critics, and those on social media celebrating its dismal box office performance. Premiering on June 28, 2024, Horizon has thus far proved unsuccessful in theaters, earning just $11 million in its opening weekend, finishing a distant third behind Inside Out 2, and A Quiet Place: Day One. It hasn’t exactly been a hit with critics either, as the film currently holds a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, with some saying it “falls short of his previous efforts.”

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Stephen King came to the defense of Kevin Costner’s latest Western, posing the question “Why in God’s name would anyone luxuriate in the failure of a film that isn’t a sequel or part of the, God save us, ‘Marvel universe?’” Check out his post below.

King, of course, does raise a valid point when it comes to the state of Hollywood these days. While many are clamoring for more original content like Costner has clearly delivered with Horizon, when it comes time to support said content in theaters, moviegoers are few and far between. This leads to poor box office results, which gives the big studios more ammunition to rely on sequels, reboots, and successful IPs like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rather than take a chance on fresh new ideas which they undoubtedly know will lose money.

What Does the Future Hold for Kevin Costner and His Horizon Saga?

Costner Plans to Make Four Films, but Will We See Them All?

Produced for nearly $100 million dollars with $40 million of that being from Kevin Costner’s own pockets, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is part of a larger plan by the writer/director to bring a series of films to life chronicling the expansion Westward in the time before and after the Civil War. In most cases, studios would probably abandon future installments in the series given the poor box office performance of the first movie compared to its budgetary costs, but Costner’s saga is not a normal Hollywood occurrence.

A passion project of his for decades, Costner had been trying to bring Horizon to life since 1988 with little interest. Following the success of another Costner-led Western in 2002, Open Range, he tried again, this time at Disney, but again had no luck. Things finally got moving in 2022, when it was announced that the 69-year-old filmmaker would produce, direct, and star in the project himself. It was then that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema came aboard with plans to distribute, with Costner saying he intends to make four films in the series.

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Kevin Costner Dishes on Not ‘Spoon-Feeding People’ Who See Horizon: An American Saga

Horizon: An American Saga’s filmmaker and star, Kevin Costner, says, “I’m so tired of everybody trying to be so delicate about things.”

While Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 failed to meet expectations at the box office, its sequel has not only been greenlit, but has already finished shooting. Costner shot both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 back-to-back, with the second installment finishing up production in summer 2023. It’s set for release on August 16, 2024.

As for a third film? It, too, has been greenlit, and production got underway in May 2024 and is expected to finish in a few months. The same can also be said of the fourth and final installment in Costner’s Horizon Saga, as it has also been greenlit, with some scenes expected to be shot simultaneously with Chapter 3.

Fans can thus find comfort in knowing that despite the underwhelming box office performance of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, they’ll still be able to see Costner’s original vision play out in its entirety one way or another, and not be left hanging.

Horizon

2/5

Horizon centers around fictional characters and takes place in pre- and post-Civil War America, and details the exploration of the American West. Depicting a twelve-year span, the movies feature an ensemble cast portraying various characters and their experiences pioneering into new territory from their homes.

Release Date

June 28, 2024

Runtime

3h 1m