Summary
Horizon: An American Sagawas positioned to be Kevin Costner’sYellowstonereplacement, and the franchise’s dire outlook means one ironic change could help save it. After having a major Western renaissance withYellowstone, Costner was finally able to make his biggest passion project a reality.Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 & Chapter 2were set for release only seven weeks apart, with Warner Bros. partnering with the actor/director to give the film’s wide theatrical releases. Initially, there was optimism thatCostner’s Western moviescould be massive hits on the backs of his renewed popularity.
The future ofHorizon: An American Sagaas a franchise is very much up in the air, though.Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1’s box officebombed after receiving a heavy dose of negative reviews. This has left Costner and Warner Bros. in an uncertain spot when it comes to the fate ofHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2, and that doesn’t even include hopes to make two more movies after that. If there is any chance that the full scope of this franchise is going to happen, Kevin Costner needs to seriously consider making a significant change.
What Went Wrong With Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone Replacement & What Happens Now
The project meant to give Kevin Costner a replacement for Yellowstone after his exit from the show has gone wrong, casting its future into doubt.
Horizon: An American Saga’s Future As A Movie Franchise Is Nearly Dead
The Sequels Are Already In Doubt
Horizon: An American Saga’s future as a major movie franchise was immediately called into question after the film’s disastrous opening. It only made $11 million over its opening weekend, and it has not found its audiences after either. The film’sbox office total currently sits at only $34 million worldwide. That made the prospects of releasing a sequel weeks later ludicrous, which is why Warner Bros. officiallydelayedHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2. The film still does not have a new release date, creating doubt about when it will be released.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is now available on digital VOD and in theaters
No matter what happens withHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2’s release, the indefinite delay and poor box office returns fromChapter 1do not bode well for its chances of success. There is not a lot of hope that audiences will suddenly flock to theaters to see the sequel, much less if they would for the potential third and fourth parts. That meansall parties involved must figure out an alternative solution ifHorizonis going to live onin any capacity. That even means forgoing plans for it to be a movie franchise.
Kevin Costner Could Save Horizon’s Sequels By Making The Franchise A TV Show
The Plan Needs To Change
If Kevin Costner does want hisHorizonfranchise to continue and make the other sequels,I think the best option would be changing courses to make this Western epic a TV series. His revival in recent years came from a Western TV show, so it is possible that the same people who helped turnYellowstoneinto one of the biggest shows on television would flock to watch aHorizonTV series. These same people may have elected to skip a theatrical viewing ofHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1in favor of waiting until it came to digital or streaming.
SwitchingHorizon: An American Sagafrom being a movie franchise to a TV show could also hold many benefits. It would eliminate any discussions about the film’s budget versus its box office. Streaming data is often less public, so if Max or Paramount+ agreed to releaseHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2as a TV show and finance future seasons,the perception of its success or failure could shift. Furthermore, Costner could have more time to explore the manyinterestingHorizon: An American Sagastorylinesto properly flesh out characters and motivations.
Horizon Becoming A TV Show Would Be Ironic After Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone Exit
He’d Return To TV After Leaving It
The idea ofHorizonbeing saved by becoming a TV show would certainly be ironic, though. The push to make the first movies played a part inKevin Costner’sYellowstoneexit. He ultimately decided to leave a hit Western TV series to pursue making an epic Western movie franchise. The hope was thatHorizonwould be big enough to replace the TV series properly, but that plan is currently failing.
If Costner was successful in retrofitting his ideas forHorizoninto a TV show format, he would wind up back exactly where he started. He wouldn’t haveYellowstoneanymore, butHorizoncould be a new hit TV series for him. This one would give him much greater creative control compared to Taylor Sheridan’s universe. In that scenario, Kevin Costner might have just been better off sticking around for more ofYellowstoneinstead of trying to makeHorizon: An American Sagareplace the hit series for him. Saving the franchise with a TV pivot would then be ironic.
