Despite disappointing opening weekend box office results, Horizon: An American Saga star Michael Rooker still defends the Western.
Although there was speculation that director/star Kevin Costner’s epic western would be a flop, fans certainly didn’t flock to theaters on opening weekend.
The three-hour film—the first in a four-film series—debuted in third place with a meager $11 million. The second installment was released on August 16.
Rooker, who plays Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan in the film, said TMZ that the film — the first Costner has directed since 2003’s Open Range — is “real cinema.”
“It’s real cinema, people, so be prepared. We’re not used to that shit. We’re used to 90-minute movies, everything’s 90 minutes, oh come on, give me a break, get over this shit,” Rooker began.
Despite disappointing opening weekend box office results, Horizon: An American Saga star Michael Rooker still defends the Western.
Rooker, who plays Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan in the film, told TMZ that the movie — the first Costner has directed since 2003’s Open Range — is “real cinema.”
“You know, let’s watch a movie that actually tells a story, where you get to know the people and you either like them or hate them. It’s not a matter of jumping to conclusions,” he added.
When asked if he thinks the modern moviegoing audience has become a bit ‘TikTokified’ and prefers short films over long-form stories, Rooker agreed.
“They absolutely are, yes of course they are, you’ve got to get over that nonsense, come on. Yes, they’ve got to learn what it’s like to watch real cinema,” Rooker insisted.
When asked about the scope of the project, which will eventually consist of four films, Rooker admitted he found it “crazy,” adding that he’s “never done anything like this before.”
When the interviewer said that Costner had made this film, but that fans wouldn’t see him in Yellowstone again, Rooker said he just had to “move on,” which he already knew.
“That’s what we do. We’re actors. We move on. We’re doing The Walking Dead. I get killed. I don’t know why. I don’t know how to write for the character, so I move on,” Rooker said.
Rooker added that Costner “is brilliant in this movie, he’s a brilliant director and he has the ability to pick the very best actors.”
He added one final message to fans, saying, “Stop hanging around. Go watch the movie. You’ll enjoy it. Go to the bathroom before you go in.”
“You know, let’s watch a movie that actually tells a story, where you learn about the people and you either like them or hate them, and it’s not a quick cut-cut-cut,” he added.
Rooker added that Costner “is brilliant in this movie, he’s a brilliant director and he has the ability to pick the absolute best actors in the movie.”
The film also received a fairly mild reception from critics, with only a 40% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes
The film was also not very well received by critics, with a score of only 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The second chapter in this saga will hit theaters in August, and the filmmaker plans to make two more films.
Production on the third film has already begun and the fourth and final film is in development, but it is still unclear when filming will begin.
However, if the second chapter is also a flop, there may be pressure to pull the plug entirely. Whether that actually happens, however, remains to be seen.