Kevin Costner Doesn’t Consider Horizon a Passion Project

Kevin Costner might have put his heart, soul, and money into Horizon: An American Saga, but the filmmaker doesn’t necessarily consider it a passion project. Horizon debuted in theaters on June 28, 2024, earning just $33 million at the box office, which was a disappointing result considering its $50 million budget. Thankfully, this film is finding new life on VOD, where it was made available to rent or buy just 18 days after its premiere, shooting to the top of the charts.

It’s no secret that Costner has invested a significant amount of his own money into the Horizon saga to bring the project to life, but that doesn’t mean he considers it to be what many others have called a “passion project” for the 69-year-old star. Per AARP, Costner says that referring to it as such “minimizes” its impact. For him, he says it’s just a “good idea.”

“Calling it that [a passion project] actually minimizes it. I’ve been passionate about a lot of things that I’ve done. This is a good idea about America. People came west. It’s part of our legacy. I just believed in it so much that I put my money into it, but I’ve had that belief about everything in my life.”

Indeed, as Horizon isn’t the first movie that Costner has poured a portion of his bank account into. He did the same with his 1990 directorial debut, Dances with Wolves. Costner helped fund the film through Tig Productions, a company he founded specifically to help bring Wolves to life, spending $3 million of his money on the production ($7 million in today’s economy). Unlike Horizon, however, the 1990 blockbuster would earn a massive $424 million at the box office against its $22 million budget, and go on to earn Costner Best Picture and Best Director awards at the 63rd Academy Awards.

Does Horizons Dismal Box Office Performance Mean It’s Not a Success?

With Horizon under performing at the box office, the future of the saga is now called into question. The second part was expected to release theatrically in August, but Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema pulled the plug on that idea in order to give more people a chance to “discover the first installment of Horizon over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and MAX.” Will that lead to the eventual release of Part 2 becoming a greater success than its predecessor? Perhaps, but Costner doesn’t define success by box office numbers.

As Hollywood is a business, most movies are defined by their numbers, a fact that can either make or break a filmmaker and their future. Though Costner is already an established figure, he still falls under the same scrutiny as others when it comes to executives looking at the performance of his films when it comes to deciding if they want to invest in future projects. However, while the suits and ties might define success with dollar signs, Costner doesn’t look at it that way. “I think we have false gods when it comes to how we judge success,” he said, before elaborating further.

“I understand what it’s like to have a huge hit and what it does for you. And I would love for this [Horizon] to be supported, watched, shared, because I made it with that in mind. But what’s success? Is it money? Is it doing what you wanted to do in life? Movies aren’t just about opening weekend. Ten years later, a good movie will still be shared. Success is: Will you revisit it and show your daughter, show your son? Will you revisit it because you wonder about it, because you find new details? Those are the measures.”

Despite the overall outcome of Horizon when it’s all said and done, and whether it’s a success in the eyes of those looking at the overall numbers, one thing is for sure: Costner can sleep well at night, knowing that he made a damn good movie that will undoubtedly be watched and studied by many for years to come. In that regard, it’s the biggest success possible for his expensive gamble, and further cements his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most ambitious filmmakers.