What To Expect From Two-Part Western Drama, Horizon: An American Saga
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7 months ago
Kevin Costner returns to the big screen (and the director's chair) for this multi-chaptered epic
The 77th Cannes Film Festival is well underway this week, generating a buzz that spans celebrities, red carpet fashion and, of course, the latest in film. But one title seems to be piquing the majority of interest: Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga. The film, which has been described as a four-part American epic Western, boasts an A-list cast and veteran production team – including Costner in the director’s chair – making it one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2024. Here’s everything you need to know before booking your cinema tickets.
Horizon: An American Saga: Everything We Know So Far
Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison (c) Warner Bros. Pictures
What Is Horizon: An American Saga About?
At the moment, not much is known about the intricacies of the plot itself. From what we can gather, Horizon: An American Saga is set during the American Civil War and offers a cinematic retelling of the expansion of the American west. As Warner summarises:
Academy Award-winning visionary filmmaker Kevin Costner directs New Line Cinema’s vast Horizon: An American Saga Chapters One and Two, a multi-faceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. A story of America too big for one film, this true cinematic event also stars Costner, who co-writes with Jon Baird (The Explorers Guild) and produces through his Territory Pictures.
In the great tradition of Warner Bros. Pictures’ iconic Westerns, Horizon: An American Saga explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won – and lost – through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.
Who Directs?
Horizon: An American Saga marks the first time award-winning actor Kevin Costner has returned to directing in 20 years – the last time he took on the role being for 2003’s Open Range, to be exact. It’s also marks his re-entry into the Western genre since his directorial debut and acting credit in the Academy Award-winning film Dances with Wolves.
Is It A Series?
It’s not a series in the traditional sense, but Horizon: An American Saga is split into four chapters, with the premiere of the first two chapters at Cannes described by Warner Bros. Pictures as a two-part film event. It promises a rich, if slightly long, narrative – although we won’t have to wait long to see all parts of the story.
Rather than be spaced out, the first two chapters will be released in cinemas within two months of each other, with Chapter 1 arriving in June and Chapter 2 in August. It’s also been announced that Chapter 3 has already started shooting and Chapter 4 is in development.
Sienna Miller as Frances Kittredge (c) Warner Bros. Pictures
Who Stars?
Alongside Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison, Horizon: An American Saga will feature Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Giovanni Ribisi in the leading roles of Frances Kittredge, First Lt. Trent Gephardt and Roland Bailey. Other notable members of the cast include:
- Danny Huston as Colonel Houghton
- Michael Rooker as Sgt. Major Riordan
- Jena Malone as Ellen/Lucy
- Michael Angarano as Walter Childs
- Abbey Lee as Marigold
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Caleb Sykes
- Jon Beavers as Junior Sykes
- Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay
- Tatanka Means as Taklishim
- Wasé Chief as Liluye
- Luke Wilson as Matthew Van Weyden
- Ella Hunt as Juliette Chesney
- Tom Payne as Hugh Proctor
- Will Patton as Owen Kittredge
- Isabelle Fuhrman as Diamond Kittredge
- Jeff Fahey
- Thomas Haden Church
- Alejandro Edda
- Tim Guinee
- Colin Cunningham
- Scott Haze
- Angus Macfadyen
- Douglas Smith
- Michael Provost
- Kathleen Quinlan as Annie Pine
- Larry Bagby
- James Russo
- Dale Dickey as Mrs. Sykes
- Hayes Costner
- James Landry Hébert
- Dalton Baker
- Georgia MacPhail
- Naomi Winders
- Austin Archer
- Charles Baker
Who Is Abbey Lee?
One of the notable breakout stars of Horizon: An American Saga is Abbey Lee, who stars as Marigold in the films. Lee recently set the internet ablaze for her red carpet looks during the Cannes Film Festival, sparking one big question: who is she?
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Born in Australia, Abbey Lee rose to fame in the late noughties as a model, walking the runway for the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Rodarte, Gucci, Fendi and Versace (and many more). She continued to book modelling gigs in the early 10s, before switching careers to focus more on acting – with her first notable credit being The Dag in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
Since then, Lee has continued to juggle acting and modelling, bagging roles in films and TV shows, including Gods of Egypt, The Dark Tower, Lovecraft Country and Florida Man.
Is There A Trailer For Horizon: An American Saga?
Yes, a trailer for the film came out earlier this year. You can watch it below:
Release Date
The first two parts of Horizon: An American Saga will be released this year, with Chapter 1 hitting theatres on 28 June 2024 and Chapter 2 closely following on 16 August 2024.
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
