Kevin Costner's 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1' Lands on HBO Max After Box Office Disappointment

In recent years, Kevin Costner has further cemented his status as one of the biggest movie stars in the world thanks to his role in Yellowstone, the sweeping Western saga written by Taylor Sheridan. Yellowstone went off the air at the end of 2024, and although the series has continued through various spin-offs like Marshals and Dutton Ranch, there is no indication that Costner is coming back to the franchise anytime soon, be it for a prequel or sequel series. Still, Costner was a massive movie star long before he ever suited up as John Dutton, and one could argue that his existing stardom is more what makes Yellowstone such a big series, not Sheridan's writing. Costner had already won two Oscars before ever starring in Yellowstone, and he's getting back to his roots with some of his later projects.

Two years ago, Costner finally delivered his long-gestating passion project to the screen with the release of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1. The sweeping American Western, which clocks in with a runtime of over three hours, bombed in spectacular fashion at the box office, grossing only $38 million against a $50 million budget — thanks to marketing, the film needed well over $100 million to break even. Now, two years removed from the theatrical release of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, the film has found a streaming home on HBO Max, where it can be watched by all subscribers. No word yet on when or even if the sequel, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 will join it on streaming, but the lackluster performance of the first film certainly isn't helping its chances.

What Is 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1' About?

In addition to Kevin Costner, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 also stars Sam Worthington as Trent Gephart, Tatanka Means as Taklishim, Giovanni Ribisi as Pickering, Danny Huston as Col. Albert Hougton, and Michael Rooker as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan. The official synopsis for the film, which earned scores of 51% from critics and 70% from audiences on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows: "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the great American west."