Summary

• New images from Horizon: An American Saga spotlight Kevin Costner and Luke Wilson's characters, as well as a wagon chase sequence.
• Horizon: An American Saga is intended to serve as the first installment in a four-part series, but it's unclear if parts three and four will get made.
• The film is a risk given its large budget and spotty box office history for the Western genre.

Horizon: An American Saga's intense wagon chase gets shown off in new images from Kevin Costner's Western epic. Written, directed, produced by, and starring Costner, Horizon: An American Saga is the first installment in a planned four-part franchise that chronicles the lives of various figures before and after the Civil War as they settle the American West. The movie, which represents a major passion project for Costner, features an impressive cast of actors including Luke Wilson, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Sienna Miller, Abbey Lee, and Michael Rooker, among others.

Ahead of Horizon: An American Saga's release date this summer, EW has shared new images from the film, teasing Costner's lead character, Luke Wilson's character, and a tense wagon chase sequence. Check out the images below:

The images are in keeping with how the film has been portrayed in trailers thus far, with character drama and sequences of violence playing out in front of the vast, beautiful landscapes of the American West.

Will Horizon: An American Saga Revive The Western Genre?

Why The Kevin Costner Movie Is A Risk

No matter how you slice it, Horizon: An American Saga is a big gamble. The Western genre is far from the reliable hit-maker it was in the 1950s, and recent movies in the genre have been a mixed bag. The Lone Ranger, for example, was a box office disaster, and other more grounded movies like 3:10 to Yuma, Hostiles, and The Sisters Brothers were disappointments as well. Even 2016's The Magnificent Seven failed to become a hit. There have been success stories, however, such as 2012's Django Unchained.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 is releasing in theaters in August, only months after Chapter 1.

Costner self-financed part of Horizon: An American Saga and even mortgaged his property in California to get the first two films made. Clearly, the actor believes in his vision, but the last two decades of box office history suggests that audiences just aren't as interested in Westerns as they once were, even when they earn good reviews. It's also not clear how reliable Costner is a box office draw in today's entertainment landscape, as he's probably now best known for his starring role in the Yellowstone TV show.

To become a hit at a $100 million budget, a film today essentially needs to engage younger audiences in some way. The Western genre is unlikely to do this, and the 69-year-old Costner probably doesn't mean as much to younger audiences who may not have seen his hits from the 1990s. While two Horizon: An American Saga movies are definitely on the way, the unmade third and fourth installments are far from a guarantee.

Source: EW