Kevin Costner Says He’ll Continue Making ‘Horizon’ Films, Despite The First Two Flopping At Box Office & With Critics

Kevin Costner has opened up about his Horizon movies after they garnered negative reviews from critics at the Venice Film Festival and flopped at the box office.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One bombed at the box office when it came out at the beginning of the summer. This weekend, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Two came up short, as well.

Despite the criticism, Costner said he plans to direct and star in the third film of the four-part series.

“I have to hurt and not let the rock fall back downhill,” he said at the press conference for the second film. “I’ve gotta go put my hands on it again and start to push it up. It’s a rope that I cannot let go of. I don’t know how I’m gonna make three right now, but I’m gonna make it.”

The first movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and hit theaters in June, grossing $36 million on a $100 million budget. The 39-year-old actor reportedly put $38 million of his own money into the film.

After Chapter One failed, the sequel was pulled from the theaters’ schedules and instead premiered in Venice.

“I think it probably was a reaction to the release of 1 – it didn’t have overwhelming success,” Costner said about the second film. “That was a studio decision to release it six weeks later, and it became a studio situation to not [release it that quickly].”

In June, Costner defended his decision to cast his two sons in the Horizon films, which aim to redefine Western movies and the depiction of Native Americans.