Throughout the history of cinema, genres have had ups and downs in their popularity, with perhaps none having as extreme a sense of fluctuation than the Western. The Western genre has produced some of the most famous movies of all time, however, as the 21st century began, a yearning for its style faded from the public consciousness. Despite that, there have been some amazing Westerns in the 21st century, which all seemed to culminate with the release of the undeniably popular Yellowstone, with the show already being considered one of the Western genre's greatest television shows. There are many factors that led to the almighty triumph of Yellowstone, not least its talented and experienced cast, which included a Western legend in the form of Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves). However, after starring in the Taylor Sheridan-created series for five years, Kevin Costner announced his exit from the show, leading to the eventual announcement of the show's end upon the finale of season five.

Although there is no official announcement as to why the show has ended, many believe that Costner's departure was at least the catalyst, with his exit soon followed by the announcement of his next project. Since first commissioning the film way back in 1988, Horizon has been Costner's passion project that, despite his best efforts, never managed to make it off the ground. If it wasn't for the success and then his subsequent departure from Yellowstone, the realizing of Costner's dream may not have been possible. So, with a lot of Yellowstone fans' attention shifting focus to this next major Western and the confirmation that three sequels will also be on their way, here is everything we know about Horizon: An American Saga so far.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on May 12.

When Is the Release Date for 'Horizon: An American Saga'?

The first two "chapters" of Horizon: An American Saga will be released less than two months apart from one another.

Chapter One hits theaters on June 28, 2024, and will be opening up against another major blockbuster in the form of A Quiet Place: Day One, a spin-off prequel of the horror franchise.

Chapter One will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024, screening out-of-competition alongside other highly anticipated movies such as George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Chapter Two will open on August 16, 2024, and will be opening against another franchise horror film, Alien: Romulus.

For any who have followed it since its 1988 commission, the wait for this movie has been longer than the wait for most projects, with even an approach to Disney following Costner's 2003 film Open Range ending in rejection. So, with that in mind, there is finally not long to wait to see Horizon come to life.

Where Can You Watch 'Horizon: An American Saga'?

As a product distributed by Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, Horizon: An American Saga will be released exclusively in theaters. Once the films' theatrical window ends, they will eventually be made available to stream on Warner Bros' streaming service Max, which also hosts several other recent releases from the studio, including The Color Purple and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Is There a Trailer for 'Horizon: An American Saga'?

Warner Bros. Discovery released a small teaser on October 5, 2023. The 42-second sneak peek revealed the incredibly stacked cast as well as the release dates.

Warner Bros officially unveiled the first official trailer for Horizon: An American Saga on February 26, 2024.

Who Is Starring in 'Horizon: An American Saga'?

For a project with such large franchising plans, it is understandable that an ensemble of extremely talented actors would need to be assembled. Starring alongside Kevin Costner are the likes of Jena Malone (Contact), Sienna Miller (American Sniper), Sam Worthington (Avatar), Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road), Giovanni Ribisi (Ted), Will Patton (Armageddon), Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13), Luke Wilson (Vacancy), Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Thomas Haden Church (Sideways), Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things), Alejandro Edda (Narcos: Mexico), Tanka Means (Killers of the Flower Moon), Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy), Ella Hunt (Dickinson), Jeff Fahey (Wyatt Earp), Tom Payne (The Walking Dead), Wase Chief, Tim Guinee (The Walking Dead), Michael Angarano (Sky High), Colin Cunningham (Falling Skies), Scott Haze (Old Henry), Angus Macfadyen (Braveheart), Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Jon Beavers (Animal Kingdom), Owen Crow Shoe (Joe Pickett), Danny Huston (Yellowstone), Larry Bagby (Hocus Pocus), Dale Dickey (Winter's Bone), Hayes Costner, James Landry Hébert (1883), Dalton Baker (Yellowstone), Georgia MacPhail (Terrifier 2), Naomi Winders (Studio C), and Austin Archer (The Night Clerk).

So, fans not only have confirmation that the first film will contain some star-studded firepower, but the sequels will as well.

What Is 'Horizon: An American Saga' About?

Stretching over a 15-year period that will include both the pre and post Civil War American west, Horizon aims to take a deeper look at that fascinating period of history, with the friction between those who attempted to find solace in an expanded settlement a key part of the movie(s).

The official synopsis for Horizon: An American Saga from Warner Bros. reads:

Academy Award-winning visionary filmmaker Kevin Costner directs New Line Cinema’s vast “Horizon: An American Saga” Chapters One and Two, a multi-faceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. A story of America too big for one film, this true cinematic event also stars Costner, who co-writes with Jon Baird (“The Explorers Guild”) and produces through his Territory Pictures. 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.

Costner himself has likened working on Horizon to working on Dances with Wolves, and that'll even show in the movie's runtime, as it has been confirmed that Chapter 1 alone will be 3 hours and 1 minute. The same exact runtime as Dances with Wolves.

Who Is Behind 'Horizon: An American Saga'?

As his passion project, Kevin Costner is not only the star and creator of the film, but also director, producer, and writer alongside Jon Baird (National Parks). Also in the crew are cinematographer J. Michael Muro (Crash), production designer Derek R. Hill (Three Kings), editor Miklos Wright (Luke Cage), and costume designer Lisa Lovaas (Transformers), with all four of them having been confirmed as also working on the sequel.

Where Did 'Horizon: An American Saga' Film?

Within the Western genre, location is crucial to the success of the movie, with the vast western landscapes pivotal to the audience's immersion into the world. So, with that in mind, fans will be delighted to learn that Horizon: An American Saga has been filmed primarily in the beautiful southern Utah, with specific filming taking place in the Moab and St. George areas.

It was reported in May 2024 that Costner would begin filming Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 3 before the theatrical release of Chapter 1 in June.