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After proving his worth in Taylor Sheridan’s neo-western dramaYellowstone, Kevin Costner has continued his tryst with the genre with his latest filmHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1which he has written, produced, directed, and starred in. Set during the American Civil War period, the movie is the first installment in a 4 part film series that premiered in the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
But the drama does not seem to have caught the fancy of critics, ahead of its US release at the end of June, and has also currently earned a poorRotten Tomatoesrating following its premiere. But fans of Costner are standing firmly by their icon’s side and have quoted another legend who also faced a similar fate last year, but quickly made up the numbers with his iconic film.
Kevin Costner Fans Have Full Faith In His Latest Film Despite Mixed Reviews
Kevin Costner’snext major film sees the veteran take on every aspect of filmmaking. His western dramaHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1which he has written, produced, directed, and starred in, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Based on the American Civil War and the expansion of the American West, the movie also has an impressive ensemble cast that includes Sienna Miller andSam Worthingtonamong others.
The drama which is the first installment in a 4 part film series taken on by Costner, unfortunately does not seem to have impressed critics in its initial release in Cannes. Based on the currentRotten Tomatoesrating after 19 published reviews, the movie has earned a disappointing 32% score.
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But this figure is not deterring fans of Costner from looking forward to its release in theaters. Firmly supporting their favorite star, one social media user quoted the example of Harrison Ford’sIndiana Jones and the Dials of Destinywhich also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and faced a similar predicament initially. Other netizens expressed confidence that the film will make up the numbers over the weeks.
It was at 20% last week when it was screened on Cannes. I bet that it will continue to grow. The same thing happened to Indiana Jones last year.
— Gonzalo (@gonzalo_9122)June 16, 2025
Reviewed by critics who hate America.
— BigJuicyBootay (@BootayJuicy)August 24, 2025
I don’t care what critics say. I’ll be there.
— SketchyW (@SketchyWriterKU)July 26, 2025
Don’t listen to tomotoe scores. Be an independent thinker. I’ve always been a fan of Costner’s Westerns, so I’ll be watching Regardless 👌👊👊pic.twitter.com/uLk5q15lLX
— 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕫𝕖𝕝’𝕤ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕪ℂ𝕒𝕟 (@Worzels_Comedy_)June 10, 2025
Well it’s going up.
— Matt (@mattfshipp)June 15, 2025
To put this into context,Indiana Jones 5also began its quest poorly as per a report inScreen Rant. But as the weeks went on, it gained momentum with fans flocking to theaters to see Ford reprise his iconic role one last time. As a result, itsRotten Tomatoesscore which was pretty low at first, quickly increased and ended at 70% in the critics rating and received a very impressive 88% score from audiences.
Keeping this statistic in mind, viewers seem to be confident that Costner’s ambitious film will also follow the same path as Ford’sIndiana Jones 5especially with audiences. With loyal support for theYellowstoneactor, all that’s left is for fans to eagerly look forward to the release of the movie in June.
Kevin Costner’s Love For Westerns Is Inspired By His Father
WhileYellowstonewill remain one of Kevin Costner’s best efforts in the western drama space, the veteran actor’s love for the genre goes back many years. TheWater Worldstar has also worked in many other Western films and shows like 1985’sSilverado,and the three-part 2012 History Channel miniseriesHatfields & McCoyswith Bill Paxton.
In 2003, the celebrity directed and acted in the American Western filmOpen Range. The narrative follows a former gunslinger and Civil War vet played by theRobin Hood: Prince of Thievesstar, who is forced back into action to fight a corrupt lawman played by Michael Gambon.
Open Rangealso starredRobert Duvall, Annette Bening, and Diego Luna. The film was a box-office success, grossing over $68 million (viaThe Numbers), and was well-liked by critics and audiences. Costner, who credited this film as the beginning of his love affair with Westerns, spoke of the influence his father had and his wish to see theYellowstoneactor portray roles of this nature.
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In an interview withYahoo Entertainment’sRole Recallin 2014 on the occasion of the 20th year of the film, Costner looked back on the events leading up to makingOpen Rangeand the impact it had on him going forward in his career.
My dad really loved John Wayne. And he said to me, ‘You can do that’. And of course I can’t be John Wayne. But I have personally taken an interest in the American Western. That final shootout, a lot of people say that they really enjoy that. That’s been ranked as maybe the top shootout. So I’m very proud of that.
This film was almost a premonition for Costner by his own admission, as the actor was certain that he would go on to make more projects of this nature along the course of his career.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1will release in theaters on June 28th, 2024.
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
