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Amidst all the drama surrounding Kevin Costner andYellowstone, one name that’s often thrown around is Costner’s passion project,Horizon. Fans are not happy about this two-part Western Saga, especially after how theYellowstone finaleis currently playing out, but it’s too soon to judge this project harshly. Costner has proven himself capable of handling a Western project as a director and actor with his 1990 Oscar-winning filmDances With Wolves.
Interestingly, theRobin Hood: Prince of Thievesactor was so confident in his project that he was unwilling to change a thing about it despite three directors rejecting it. It paid off heavily as the film became the fourth highest-grossing film of 1990 along with its seven Oscar wins.
Kevin Costner’s Relentless Commitment Resulted In The Success Of His Western Drama
WhenKevin Costnerapproached multiple directors with his script forDances with Wolves, he wasreceived with skepticism and negativity. Many directors compared his project to the 1980 filmHeaven’s Gate, a Western project that earned a bad rap due to its poor execution. Costner shared in an interview with Deadline that these people called his project ‘Kevin’s Gate’.
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Costner shared that he had put all his money intoDances with Wolves, before setting out to find a director. He revealed that he asked three directors to helm the film before stepping into the shoes himself. Costner shared withDeadline:
“I know when I was making Dances with Wolves, they were calling it ‘Kevin’s Gate,’ even though they didn’t know that I put all my money into this thing. I actually asked three other directors to direct it before me.”
Costner further added that each director had their own vision of the movie and wanted to remove certain aspects from the film. One director asked him to get rid of the Civil War sequence in the film, while another pointed out that the White ethnic girl was a cliché in the film. TheJFKactor didn’t want to compromise on his story and leave anything out of it. He shared:
“They each had kind of very pronounced ideas about what they wouldn’t leave in the movie. They’re very well-known directors. One said I should get rid of the Civil War sequence and start with them out there in the middle of nowhere. Another said, ‘The white girl, it’s a cliché.’ Well, it wasn’t a cliché. In the West, slaves were traded. They were very valuable in the commerce of the West. I finally directed it by default. What I knew was, I wasn’t as good as any of those other directors. But I wasn’t gonna leave anything out.”
According toBox Office Mojo, Costner’s film earned $424.2 million at the worldwide box office against a $22 million budget.The film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Costner, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Mixing.
Kevin Costner’s Efforts Will Be Even Higher For The Film He Has Been Planning Since 1988
It has been more than three and a half decades since Kevin Costner commissioned the idea forHorizon: An American Saga. He approached numerous studios to make the grand-scale Western film. However, the film was greenlit only in January 2022, with Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema joining the production (via Deadline).
“He really threw a winner my way”: Harrison Ford Will Never Forget What His Yellowstone Heir Kevin Costner Did for Him Despite Not Being Close Friends
Given the time and effort invested by theMan of Steelactor into this project, many expect that it will achieve a bigger success for him as a director thanDances with Wolves. Costner’s dream project will also starSienna Miller,Sam Worthington, Michael Rooker, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Thomas Haden Church. It will premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on June 11, 2025.
Dances with Wolvesis now available for streaming on MGM+.Horizon: Chapter 1will be released in theaters on June 25, 2025, whileChapter 2will be released on August 25, 2025.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
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Kevin Costner
