As we’ve covered, the Governors Awards happened over the weekend. The awards have become a must-attend event for anyone working a serious Oscar campaign, which is why we saw the likes of Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and a slew of other stars and filmmakers hoping to become nominees in January. And Kevin Costner was there, dressed in a look overall best described as, “Colonel Sanders does formalwear.” Kevin was presumably representing the only film he released this year, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1; The Audience Strikes Back… by not showing up at the theaters. Even after Kevin left his fan-favorite series Yellowstone to self-finance this passion project. The film bombed so badly in July that Horizon 2 was yanked from its August release date. But never fear! Kevin is determined to get the second movie to us, as he told E! News at the Governors Awards, along with his thoughts on the fan reactions to his character’s exit on Yellowstone:
The death of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone character recently sent shockwaves beyond the boundaries of Dutton Ranch, with many viewers expressing outrage over how John Dutton III was killed off in the Paramount show.
But for the two-time Oscar winner, who said he actually pitched series creator Taylor Sheridan two different endings for his character, he’s not shaking in his boots over the fan backlash.
“Fans have a voice in things,” Costner exclusively told E! News at the 2024 Governors Awards in Los Angeles Nov. 17, “and they choose to follow stuff.”
The 69-year-old added that he had pitched his character’s death to Sheridan “a while back,” but it was ultimately up to producers on the exact way John would meet his maker.
…As Costner quipped, “They do what they want to do. That’s fine with me.”
The actor announced his departure from the Western series in June, explaining that he was “not going to be able to continue” filming due to scheduling conflicts with his four-part movie anthology Horizon: An American Saga.
“It was something that really changed me,” Costner — who starred on Yellowstone for four and a half seasons — said in a statement of working on the series. “I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop and I’ll see you at the movies.”
The first installment of Horizon premiered in June. So, when can fans expect the second chapter of the saga to drop?
“I’m gonna try to figure that out,” he told E! News with a laugh. “I make these things, I will figure out how to get it to an audience.”
Costner added that Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 will “tie in” with the first installment, while he’s “trying to figure out” the third and fourth chapters.
“Everybody has an impress that maybe things come to me easily,” he noted. “I think projects do come to me. But when it comes to something I want to do, sometimes it’s a bigger struggle.”
But Costner is up for the challenge.
“If this is what it has to be for me to bring a movie to America and around the world,” he continued, “that’s what I’ll do.”
Ok, Kevin, the struggle is real. And thank you, Sherlock, for clarifying that the second film will “tie in” to the first. For what it’s worth, I’ve been tracking the saga of Kevin’s American Saga for months now, and this is least certain he’s sounded about Horizon 3 & 4. What does “trying to figure out” mean exactly? Are we talking financing, scheduling/logistics, or story-wise? Because if basic storylines are still up in the air, I’d say it’s time to cut the covered-wagon loose already! But no, clearly Kevin is committed to gifting America — and the world at large — with these films that will stand the test of time, he swears! He’s the Don Quixote of films about American westward expansion, and his quest cannot be stopped. It’s particularly funny after Kevin spoke so clearly about fans having “a voice in things,” and a choice in what to follow. But that’s just for Yellowstone, not Horizon? Perhaps if he builds the movie theater, the audience will come.
photos credit: Avalon.red and Cover Images