Horizon: An American Saga — release date, review, trailer, cast and everything we know about Kevin Costner's epic western

Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga
Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga (Image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

Kevin Costner has helped keep the western genre alive in recent years, thanks primarily to his role in the neo-western TV series Yellowstone (though Taylor Sheridan deserves plenty of credit for that too). But he is bringing the western back to movie theaters in a big way, with an epic two-part movie, Horizon: An American Saga.

Though Costner is no stranger to big westerns, having directed Best Picture winner Dances with Wolves and Open Range, Horizon is described as his passion project. It's so big that making it allegedly played into Yellowstone season 5 being the final season of the hit TV show.

We've got everything you need to know about Horizon: An American Saga right here.

Horizon: An American Saga release date

Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 released in movie theaters worldwide on June 28.

It was originally planned that Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2, filmed back-to-back with Chapter 1 and previewed with a mini trailer at the end of the movie, was going to release a few weeks later on August 16, 2024, but that is no longer the case after the movie was pulled from the release calendar, with the studio hoping for more audiences (including at-home viewers, where it is now available) to have the chance to watch Chapter 1.

Things are looking a little better for Chapter 2 though following the announcement that it will have its world premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival in September.

In the meantime, here's what you need to know about how to watch Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1, including when it is getting its streaming premiere.

Horizon: An American Saga plot

Costner wrote the script with Jon Baird. Here is the official synopsis:

"In the great tradition of Warner Bros. Pictures' iconic Westerns, Horizon: An American Saga explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won — and lost — through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner's ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America."

When the movie was first announced, Costner was quoted in Deadline saying it looked into America's westward expansion prior to, during and after the Civil War, with him looking to tell the story in "an honest and forthcoming way, highlighting points of view and consequences of the characters' life and death decisions."

Featuring such a big scope, check out where Horizon: An American Saga was filmed to find out how they brought the Old West back to life.

Horizon: An American Saga cast

For as big a movie as this appears to be, Horizon: An American Saga has a big cast to match it. Costner headlines things, pulling quadruple duty as star, writer, director and producer. But here is the massive, star-studded cast that Warner Bros. has announced (who they are playing has not been revealed): 

Horizon: An American Saga trailer

The trailers for Horizon: An American Saga promise an epic experience at the movie, which is why we have it as one of our 15 blockbuster movies we're most excited to see in 2024. Watch all the trailers for the western right here:

Horizon: An American Saga | Trailer 1 - YouTube Horizon: An American Saga | Trailer 1 - YouTube
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Horizon: An American Saga | Official Trailer #2 - YouTube Horizon: An American Saga | Official Trailer #2 - YouTube
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You can also see the previously released teaser trailer below.

Horizon: An American Saga reviews

You can read the What to Watch Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 review to see what we think about the movie. But in terms of how it is broadly being received, as of July 2, the western has a 43% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Kevin Costner movies

Kevin Costner is best known for his acting work, famously starring in Bull Durham, Field of Dreams and the previously mentioned Yellowstone, but he is also an Oscar-winning director, specifically for Dances With Wolves. Costner has two other feature movies he has directed, 1997's The Postman and 2003's Open Range

Horizon: An American Saga poster

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
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Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.