If that sounds a bold,risky and downright bizarre move,that’s because it is. But it’s also par for the course. Over Costner’s 40-year career,the actor/director has helmed and starred in several films that were deemed untouchable by studios,such asDances with Wolves,and spectacular expensive failures likeWaterworld. Not only has he backed them creatively,he has also made a habit of injecting his own money into them.
Kevin Costner is no stranger to big projects,but is the Horizon series a step beyond?Compiled by Marija Ercegovac.
He’s no stranger to risk,but could theHorizon saga be his craziest gamble yet?
What isHorizon,and why is it crazy?
In May,the 69-year-old Costner toldGQ he had so far funnelled about of his money intoHorizon,a four-part sprawling Western set in the Civil War era. The first two chapters are complete,withChapter One in cinemas andChapter Two premiering in August. The saga will be approximately 12 hours long and could cost Costner of his own money.
Is he being too ambitious?
Costner,who has been navigating the film industry since the early 1980s,is well-versed in ambition. After a rocky start to his film career,having had all his scenes cut fromThe Big Chill in 1983,he managed to quickly climb the ranks of Hollywood,starring in a string of successful films likeSilverado,Bull Durham andField of Dreams.
By the time he directed his first film,Dances with Wolves in 1990,he had already cemented himself as a dependable all American hero and was ready to take some creative risks.Dances with Wolves,which explores the relationship between a Civil War soldier and a Native American tribe,was initially dismissed by studios given dwindling interest in westerns. Costner invested over $4 million of his own money into the $28.5 million film. It paid off,with the movie globally and winning seven Oscars,including best picture and best director for himself.
In many ways,Horizon mimicsDances with Wolves:they’re both costly western epics that attracted minimal interest from studios. Given the unexpected success of the latter,perhaps Costner is hoping for a repeat. However,Horizon consists of four films,meaning quadruple the cost and marketing efforts.
Some risks have flopped
In 1995,he starred in and produced the post-apocalyptic movieWaterworld,which had the biggest budget in Hollywood at the time (over $262 million,excluding marketing costs). The production was plagued with issues,including a sunken set following a hurricane. Costner reportedly invested about $32 million into the rebuild and agreed to forgo his portion of the movie’s profits.Waterworld only grossed about $396 million globally and was labelled by some as “”.
The Postman,a 1997 sci-fi flick that Costner directed and starred in,was similarly disappointing,grossing only from a $119 million budget. Next,Costner saw some success withOpen Range,a western that was once again directed by,starring and produced by himself.
Kevin Costner’s The Postman dwindled at the box office.Warner Bros.
CouldHorizonpay off?
Whether his latest pet project pays off remains uncertain. Following Horizon:Chapter One’s premiere at Cannes,some critics described it as a “numbingly long,” and a “”. It opened to only about in the US (where it premiered on June 28),a dismal figure compared to its $149 million production budget.
However,Costner has stressed this doesn’t guarantee failure. It could still do well on video-on-demand and other home entertainment following its theatrical run (it will stream on Stan,which like this masthead is owned by Nine,in September).
“I own[Horizon] for the rest of its life ... Every five years,license them around the world. Re-license them here in America. The difference is I own that,because of the risk I’ve taken … Why are studios there? It’s because those movies continue to make money,well beyond their opening weekends,” Costner recently told.
The third and fourthHorizon films haven’t secured funding or distribution yet,but Costner said he plans to. Whether they get a wide theatrical release may depend on how the first two tracks. But if his history indicates anything,Costner will see it through regardless of how crazy it seems.
Horizon:An American Saga – Chapter One is in cinemas now.
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