Kevin Costner’s passion project will be presented in full as the Venice Film Festival schedules a screening of Chapter 1 and a premiere of Chapter 2.
Horizon: An American Saga is a passion project of Kevin Costner’s that has definitely shaken up his life. With talks about how his self-financing the project and lengthy shooting schedule affected his personal life and his hit show Yellowstone, Costner put a lot on the line for this series of films. The drama would not end by Chapter 1‘s release, as the lackluster performance of that first film at the box office prompted Warner Bros. to suspend the planned release of Chapter 2. This decision is a devastating blow for both Costner and fans of the first movie as the story is largely a setup for future chapters.
While it remains to be seen how and when the studio plans to release Chapter 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter, this next entry in the saga will be getting a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival out-of-competition on September 7, which is almost a month after its initial intended wide theater release. Additionally, Chapter 1 will also be screened at the festival on the same day after that film had received a ten-minute standing ovation from the audience at the Cannes premiere back in May. Chapter 2 would be bringing back the ensemble cast that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone and Danny Huston.
According to THR, with this premiere announcement, Costner states, “My dream was always to show Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Two at the Venice Film Festival. The fact that now they have decided to show Chapter One earlier in the day and then the World Premiere of Chapter Two that evening shows not only their belief in how the two films work together but their support of a director’s vision.”
The Horizon director and star continued to say, “I’m indebted to [Venice Film Fest director] Alberto Barbera for his courage and leadership in committing to this cinematic journey. It is with gratitude and excitement that I return to the Venice Film Festival. Long live the movies and those willing to stand for them.”