Kevin Costner’s Horizon 2 Confirms New Premiere After Cancelling Original August Release Plan (2025)

Kevin Costner's Western epic Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 has confirmed a new premiere date after the sequel's original August release plans were canceled. Horizon Chapter 2's release was originally set for August 16, 2024, before the poor performance of Chapter 1 at the box office led to it being pulled from its initial release date. The initial installment in the planned four-part saga has earned only $33.2 million at the box office against a $50 million budget, making it a financial flop.

Now, La Biennale di Venezia has confirmed that Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 will make its debut at the 81st Venice Film Festival on September 7, following the film getting pulled from its initial August release. The announcement was accompanied by a statement from Costner, grateful for the opportunity to screen the movie, hoping it's able to showcase the vision he has for the Western story overall. Check out what Costner had to say below:

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. I’m indebted to 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.

When Will Horizon Chapter 2 Be Released In Theaters?

It May Not Even Premiere On The Big Screen

Horizon Chapter 1 ended with many of its character's stories only just beginning, as the film mostly focused on a larger view of what life was like during American expansion around the time of the Civil War. This slow start seemed to contribute to its mixed critical reception, with some admiring Costner's vision while others saw it as a stretched-out beginning that wasn't attention-grabbing enough. Its presentation likely resulted in its poor box office numbers, making the future of Chapter 2 unclear up until now.

The sequel's upcoming film festival premiere is a good sign that it will be released for general audiences at some point in the future. However, since the first one failed to garner much interest in theaters, it wouldn't be surprising if the sequel went right to a home release instead. Horizon Chapter 1 became a VOD success upon its home release, something that could be replicated by the sequel if it takes a similar route. While a theatrical debut is possible, Warner Bros. will have to weigh the finances before coming to a decision.

Another potential home for Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 is on a streaming service like Max, enticing new subscribers with the next part of Costner's Western epic. While it's unclear if the money spent on production would make a streaming release worthwhile, it could be a better route than risking theatrical failure like the first entry. The film's reception at Venice Film Festival could also be a deciding factor as to where the sequel should come out for the highest level of success.

What Horizon Chapter 2's Reception Could Mean For Chapters 3 & 4

The Future Of Costner's Western Could Be In Jeopardy

Even after Horizon Chapter 1's mixed reviews, Costner was still determined to ensure all four movies in his Western epic got made, something that has continued even after a poor box office performance. While Chapter 2's film festival debut could spark renewed interest from a wider audience, the next installment will need to perform well commercially to justify even more movies getting released. Even though Chapter 3 is in production already, a box office bomb or failure to meet audience goals on streaming could end the whole project prematurely.

However, if the second installment manages to perform exceptionally well at Venice Film Festival - especially if critics offer it higher praise than Chapter 1 - the epic could get back on track based on prestige alone. Even if its viability in theaters or on streaming wasn't guaranteed, Warner Bros. would still likely release it if there were enough positive opinions. While it's unclear if this would lock in the future of the next two installments for sure, it would increase the chances of the films being released when they're complete.

Why Horizon: An American Saga Could Still Release All 4 Movies

Costner's Name Recognition Is A Vital Attribute

Despite its slow start and disappointing box office numbers, Horizon: An American Saga's storylines are clearly leading to a much larger tale yet to unfold. Although the fate of the next three installments is still unclear, it's possible they will all end up released in some capacity following Chapter 2's premiere. While interest in the film is vital to its continuation, so too is Costner's name recognition. Given the actor's seasoned career and investment of his own money into the project, the rest of his vision could still come out regardless of how well the sequel is received.

Even though the fate of the series is up in the air, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 could be what Costner needs to ensure the rest of the films in his Western epic come out. While it's still unclear if they'll ever arrive on the big screen, any release for the movies would be preferable to having the story he's been working on for decades not see the light of day. Since the Film Festival is a little over a month away, it won't be too much longer until its reception is revealed, potentially setting in stone what the future of the upcoming movies will be.

Source: La Biennale di Venezia

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2

Not Yet Rated

Drama

Western

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 is a western drama film directed by Kevin Costner. Broken into two parts, Horizon explores the periods before and after the American Civil War, with the reconstruction and new era for Western Expansion.

Director

Kevin Costner

Release Date

November 7, 2024

Studio(s)

New Line Cinema , Territory Pictures

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Writers

Kevin Costner , Jon Baird , Mark Kasdan

Cast

Kevin Costner , Sienna Miller , Sam Worthington , Giovanni Ribisi , Jena Malone , Abbey Lee , Michael Rooker , Danny Huston , Luke Wilson , Isabelle Fuhrman

Budget

$100 Million