Kevin Costner’s Epic New Western Movie Is Already Trying To Copy Yellowstone’s Greatest Trick
Kevin Costner appears to have taken notes on Yellowstone's successful expansion and will likely incorporate them into his new Horizon movie franchise.
- Kevin Costner’s departure from Yellowstone is due to behind-the-scenes issues and his focus on his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga.
- Horizon, a four-movie franchise directed by Costner, will explore several eras of the American West, similar to the Yellowstone universe.
- Costner’s decision to leave Yellowstone shows his confidence in creating a successful and high-quality Western franchise with Horizon, potentially surpassing his previous achievements.
Kevin Costner’s highly-anticipated new Western movie Horizon: An American Saga appears to take great influence from the wildly popular series Yellowstone. Costner will appear in the final six episodes of the acclaimed Paramount+ show that is set to conclude earlier than it would have initially liked to as a result of Costner’s surprising departure. Creator Taylor Sheridan responded to Costner’s announcement by swiftly developing a sequel series to the original Yellowstone saga that will bring Matthew McConaughey into the celebrated world of the post-John Dutton franchise.
Costner’s decision to leave Yellowstone after season 5 is due to a number of behind-the-scenes issues in conjunction with Costner’s devotion to his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. Costner returned to the director’s chair on Horizon for the first time since 2004’s Open Range, marking a clear distinction between his association with Yellowstone, which he stars in but does not direct, and his eventual Horizon franchise. However, the overlapping Western themes and large scope in Costner’s four-movie Horizon franchise seem to draw close parallels to Yellowstone’s extended universe, suggesting that Costner drew inspiration for Horizon based on the successful expansion of the Yellowstone franchise.
Kevin Costner’s Horizon Plans Make It An Epic American Saga – Like Yellowstone
Costner’s directorial effort with Horizon: An American Saga plans to depict the American West pre-and post-Civil War over four separate films. The first installment of the incoming Horizon franchise, which is currently still in post-production, will likely be released by the end of 2023 or at the latest sometime in 2024. Horizon and its subsequent sequels will follow a distinctive Yellowstone pattern in setting itself up for massive expansion before it even premieres. This vote of confidence is a great indication of the high effort and quality that Costner intends to put into his new longstanding project.
Horizon will also cover several historical eras just as the Yellowstone franchise successfully did with its prequel series 1883 and 1923. This narrative structure will allow Horizon to essentially become a movie version of Yellowstone in some ways with the potential for further developments in television and streaming series. Depending on the outcome of the final six episodes of Yellowstone, there is even the potential for the Yellowstone and Horizon worlds to collide if both franchises continue their successful runs well into the future. While Costner’s exit from Yellowstone season 5 was unexpected, he has not denied the possibility of working with the franchise again in other ways.
Will Horizon Be Worth Kevin Costner Leaving Yellowstone For?
Costner is certainly taking a risk by leaving Yellowstone behind and essentially betting on himself that he can create a comparable if not better Western franchise. While it will be no easy feat for Costner to achieve a similar level of success with his Horizon movies, the weight and appeal of his name alone should at least attract a wide audience from the start. The fate of Horizon will ultimately be left up to Costner himself, who will be directing at least the first two movies of the new franchise. Costner does already have Best Director and Best Picture Oscars under his belt for Dances with Wolves, indicating that leaving Yellowstone to pursue Horizon could be another winning move in his illustrious career.
