So, Kevin Costner hasn’t given up on ‘Horizon 3.’ If you’ve been following the “Horizon: An American Saga” experiment, and at this point, that’s exactly what it is, you’ll know it’s shaping up to be one of Hollywood’s most fascinating case studies in stubborn auteurism.
Costner continues to search for funding to complete the saga, but has now been sued, again, this time for allegedly failing to pay for costume rentals on “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2.”
On Monday, Western Costume lodged a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Costner in California state court, claiming he owes approximately $440,000 in outstanding costume-related fees, along with additional costs tied to alleged damage to several garments.
This latest drama arrives at a precarious moment for Costner, who, according to THR, is pressing ahead with his determination to complete the “Horizon” saga despite mounting financial strain and a series of lawsuits and investor disputes. Costner recently traveled to Saudi Arabia, pitching officials on backing the third and fourth chapters, but those discussions ultimately failed to produce an agreement.
The complaint makes no mention of “Chapter 3,” which was not fully financed as of last year and remains in limbo. Only nine days of footage were shot. Some have speculated that Costner’s deal with a local developer to build a $100M film studio in Utah could help resolve his “Horizon” woes, but there’s no timeline for when construction might be completed, and additional financing would still be required to make the movie.
And what’s going on with ‘Horizon: Chapter 2’? The film was originally slated for release last summer, but was quickly nixed off the schedule after the first instalment grossed just $38M against a $100M budget (for both films). It currently has no release date. That film is basically in limbo, and that’s despite screening at the Venice Film Festival, albeit to less-than-stellar reviews.
The lawsuit is just the latest headache for Costner, who is also facing another legal battle — this one from a stunt performer who worked on ‘Chapter 2.’ That performer has sued the production for sexual harassment and retaliation over an unscripted rape scene that was allegedly filmed without the presence of a contractually mandated intimacy coordinator.
When Costner first pitched ‘Horizon,’ he was told the project would cost $130M. He believed he could make it for $70M. It’s the kind of math that only makes sense to someone willing to mortgage his $60M estate just to get the film made. Costner reportedly poured $38M of his own money into “Horizon,” then brought in Warner Bros. for domestic distribution. Against all warnings, he charged ahead with not one but two films, shot back-to-back.