Westerns are a film genre that has actually faded away. However, series like Yellowstone have given the genre a significant boost. A Western is set to hit theaters as a 4-part series, but the first outlooks are not promising.
Which film is it about? The film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 will be released in theaters this summer. As the name suggests, the film is not a standalone movie, but the beginning of a 4-part film series that is set to end in the summer of 2025.
The unusual thing about the series is that the American release of Chapter 1 is in June, followed shortly by the release of Chapter 2 in August. Chapter 3 and 4 are expected to follow in the summer of 2025. According to movieweb.com, Chapter 3 is already being filmed.
Such planning carries a significant risk. If the first film flops, money has already been spent on the other parts. The initial reviews are also not particularly positive.
A trailer for the film series can be seen here:
Big stars in the genre renaissance
What is Horizon about? The series Yellowstone has shown that the Western genre still has something to offer. The neo-Western was also able to attract countless viewers to the television. The lead role in the series is played by Kevin Costner. With Horizon, we can now expect a classic Western with Kevin Costner in the lead role.
Horizon seems to be a classic Western. The 4-part series is supposed to depict the time of the Civil War between 1861 and 1865. The expansion of America is an important part of the story. Alongside Costner, many great actors are represented, including Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, and Jena Malone.
But what is the problem? On Rotten Tomatoes, the first part of the series has a mediocre critic score of 43%. Many critics are bothered by the slow pace of the 3-hour film, which, despite the many characters, does not tell much and feels more like the introduction to the series.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the box office forecasts are also not looking better. The projections for the first weekend are only 12 million dollars. With a budget of over 50 million, this is a bad sign. However, Chapter 2 will be hit even harder, as it only starts 2 months later.
Competition is also not resting. A Quiet Place: Day One will be released on the same day, and in July, the financially promising Deadpool and Wolverine will come out. When looking at films like The Fall Guy or Furiosa, it becomes clear that this year other big
films also flopped at the box office.
The frustrating thing about a flop would be that the film has been financed independently. Costner himself invested a lot in his passion project. Warner Brothers is only acting as a distributor in this case. In Germany, Chapter 1 of Horizon will only be released on August 22, 2024. Until then, we will know how the film performed in the USA. A Western legend recommends this film: Clint Eastwood raves about the best Western he has ever seen – But hardly anyone knows the film
