Kevin Costner is probably breathing a sigh of relief today after it was announced on Wednesday, July 31 that his movie, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two, is getting a second life. The film will have its world premiere at the prestigious Venice Film Festival in September after it was removed from the summer movie calendar.
The franchise’s first installment tanked at the box office with a meager $11 million on opening weekend despite its $100 million budget, per Variety. Horizon, Chapter Two will debut on Sept. 7 with festival attendees having the opportunity to see the first part earlier in the day. The news thrilled Costner, who is completely invested in his passion project. “My dream was always to show Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter Two at the Venice Film Festival,” Costner said in a statement to the media outlet. “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 movie’s inclusion in the Venice Film Festival is what festival curator Alberto Barbera described as a “late addition to the lineup” because they are honored to “pay a heartfelt and respectful tribute to the visionary project of a great actor and director.” That’s quite some high praise for Costner, who truly managed to pull off a miracle for his series of films which is supposed to include four parts in total. He’s reportedly filming the third chapter this summer despite the lukewarm reviews and weak response from his fans.
The 69-year-old actor was “in a world of pain” after his loyal audiences failed to show up at the box office. He had invested $38 million of his own fortune, including mortgaging 10 acres of his California estate. “For all his bravado, he’s terrified Horizon will bleed him dry, and he’ll lose a huge chunk of savings,” a Life & Style source shared. Costner was feeling a bit more bullish earlier in the year when he told Francis Ford Coppola in a Deadline interview earlier this year that his self-financing move “has thrown my accountant into a f**king conniption fit. But it’s my life, and I believe in the idea and the story.”
This lifeline given to him by Barbera and the Venice Film Festival will hopefully put Horizon back on track with Warner Bros. so they can find another place for the franchise on the schedule. The September reaction to Chapter Two will carry a lot of weight, and Costner is holding his breath until then.
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