Kevin Costner spent more than three decades chasing the Horizon dream before cameras rolled in 2022. Now, with the first chapter already streaming on Netflix and the second chapter sitting on the shelf indefinitely, the saga’s next move matters more than ever — both for Costner’s artistic legacy and for audiences who bought into the vision.
Planned Chapters: 4 ·
Chapter 1 Release: June 28, 2024 ·
Director and Star: Kevin Costner ·
Genre: Epic Western ·
Span Covered: 15-year pre- and post-Civil War
Quick snapshot
- Four chapters were originally planned (Wikipedia)
- Chapter 2 premiered at Venice on September 7, 2024 (Wikipedia)
- Chapter 1 hit Netflix and climbed to #2 on the platform’s charts within five days (What’s on Netflix)
- Whether Chapter 2 gets a theatrical release at all or pivots to streaming
- Exact timing for Chapters 3 and 4 beyond planned Spring 2025 resumption
- Whether Netflix will fund or acquire the remaining chapters
- Chapter 2 pulled from August 16, 2024 slot in mid-July 2024 (What’s on Netflix)
- No confirmed wide release date as of early 2025 (What’s on Netflix)
- Chapter 3 production slated to resume in Spring 2025 (What’s on Netflix)
- Warner Bros. lists Chapter 2 release as TBA (What’s on Netflix)
- Festival screenings continue while studio maps the next move (What’s on Netflix)
The production and reception data below captures the key milestones and metrics for Costner’s delayed Western epic.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Director | Kevin Costner |
| Planned Installments | 4 |
| Chapter 2 Original Release | August 16, 2024 |
| Chapter 2 Delay Announced | Mid-July 2024 |
| Chapter 2 Venice Premiere | September 7, 2024 |
| Chapter 2 Santa Barbara Screening | February 7, 2025 |
| Chapter 2 Runtime | 190 minutes |
| Chapter 1 RT Critics Score | 48% |
| Chapter 1 RT Audience Score | 71% |
| Netflix Availability End (US) | July 16, 2025 |
| Project Origin | 1988 |
Is there a part 2 to Horizon: An American Saga?
Current status of Chapter 2
Chapter 2 exists. It’s finished — 190 minutes of runtime, according to Wikipedia — and it screened at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 7, 2024, then again at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 7, 2025. Yet it has no wide theatrical release date. Warner Bros. Pictures lists the chapter as TBA, and actor Sam Worthington offered no clarity in a recent interview: “not much of an update really,” he said, per Film Stories.
Chapter 2 is finished but orphaned — caught between Costner’s preference for theaters and a box office reality that sent Chapter 1 into Netflix exile.
Reasons for pull and delay
Chapter 2 was removed from its August 16, 2024 release date in mid-July 2024, less than seven weeks after Chapter 1 opened. The studio framed the move as giving Chapter 1 room to find its audience via premium video-on-demand and Max. Critics called it the right call: Collider noted that releasing the two chapters only six weeks apart was a mistake given how poorly Chapter 1 performed. Box office returns fell short of the production budget, making the original release schedule untenable.
Why was Horizon Part 2 pulled?
Box office factors
Chapter 1 opened on June 28, 2024 and became a box office bomb, grossing nowhere near what it cost to produce. Rotten Tomatoes data showed a sharp split: audiences gave it a 71% score while critics landed at 48%, suggesting the film found fans but failed to convert general viewers. The underperformance created immediate doubt about whether audiences would show up for Chapter 2 just seven weeks later.
Production and distribution updates
The delay announcement came with a studio statement suggesting more time would help Chapter 1 build audience through PVOD. Actor Isabelle Fuhrman offered an uncertain update on Chapter 2’s progress in a separate interview, per CBR, hinting that no clear advancement had occurred since the pull. Warner Bros. has not confirmed a new theatrical window, and speculation persists that the chapter could land on Max or Netflix instead of theaters.
Why is Horizon Part 2 delayed?
Timeline shifts
The project itself stretches back decades. Costner commissioned the Horizon concept in 1988, pitched it to Disney in 2003, and finally advanced it in 2022 when cameras started rolling. The two-film theatrical strategy fell apart within weeks of Chapter 1’s opening. What was meant to be a summer doubleheader became Chapter 2 vanishing from the 2024 calendar entirely.
Future release prospects
Chapter 2 is intended for theaters “sometime in 2025,” according to What’s on Netflix, though no specific date has been announced. Festival screenings have kept the film visible without resolving its distribution future. The question is whether theatrical can still happen or whether streaming is the only viable path forward.
Costner has shot only nine days of footage for Chapter 3, per reports. Without a clear path for Chapter 2, the already-modest production momentum on sequels could stall entirely.
Is the movie Horizon worth watching?
Critical reception
Chapter 1 earned a 48% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes — a split decision that landed somewhere between cautious praise and outright dismissal. The Guardian’s review described it as having “satisfying momentum builds in this involving but inauthentic first instalment,” capturing the ambivalence many critics felt. Chapter 2’s festival screenings have produced mixed to negative reviews so far, though aggregated scores from festival viewings showed a 75% rating on some platforms.
Audience views and streaming performance
Audiences responded more warmly than critics: a 71% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes signals that those who watched generally liked what they saw. When Chapter 1 hit Netflix, it climbed to #2 on the platform’s charts within five days of its debut, per What’s on Netflix. The disconnect between theatrical failure and streaming success is stark — a pattern that makes the franchise’s future harder to predict.
Is Horizon: An American Saga chapter 2 on Netflix?
Where to watch Chapter 1
Chapter 1 is available on Netflix in the US and remains on the platform through July 16, 2025, according to What’s on Netflix — an unusually long window compared to most Warner Bros. releases. This extended availability suggests the studio is giving the film every chance to find streaming audiences.
Chapter 2 streaming status
Chapter 2 is not currently available on any streaming platform. It has screened at festivals but has not received a wide release of any kind. Speculation exists that the chapter could go to Max or Netflix given Chapter 1’s streaming performance, but there is no official confirmation. Costner himself has voiced a preference for theatrical releases over Netflix, per Film Stories, creating potential tension if streaming becomes the only viable option.
Upsides
- Chapter 1 found a genuine audience on Netflix (#2 on charts)
- Chapter 2 is complete and has screened at prestigious festivals (Venice, Santa Barbara)
- Four-chapter arc was fully mapped, giving Costner a rare complete vision
- Audience Rotten Tomatoes score (71%) shows fans connected with the material
- Chapter 3 production scheduled to resume in Spring 2025
Downsides
- Chapter 1 was a box office bomb with a 48% critics score
- Chapter 2 has no confirmed release date; Warner Bros. lists it as TBA
- Critics for Chapter 2 have been mixed to negative from festival screenings
- Only nine days of Chapter 3 footage shot so far
- Netflix acquiring the saga remains speculation with no official deal
Horizon: An American Saga Timeline
A four-decade project compressed into a chaotic two-year theatrical run — then stalled.
| Date / Period | Event |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Kevin Costner commissions the Horizon project |
| 2003 | Project pitched to Disney |
| June 28, 2024 | Chapter 1 theatrical release |
| Mid-July 2024 | Chapter 2 pulled from August 16, 2024 release |
| September 7, 2024 | Chapter 2 world premiere at Venice Film Festival |
| February 7, 2025 | Chapter 2 screened at Santa Barbara International Film Festival |
| Spring 2025 | Chapter 3 production planned to resume |
What the reviews say
The Guardian called Chapter 1 “an involving but inauthentic first instalment” with “satisfying momentum builds.” Collider’s analysis was blunter: releasing Chapter 2 just six weeks after Chapter 1 underperformed was a mistake. Film industry publications have watched the saga’s distribution problems as a case study in timing gone wrong for ambitious multi-chapter theatrical experiments.
Collider — Film industry publication
“The first two chapters should never have been intended for release six weeks apart.”
Film Stories — Entertainment news outlet
“Not much of an update really,” — Sam Worthington, on Horizon Chapter 2’s status.
Chapter 3 production has only nine days of footage shot so far. Without a confirmed Chapter 2 release date, the window for Costner to complete the four-chapter saga on a theatrical schedule is narrowing fast.
Summary
Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga entered 2024 as one of the most ambitious Western projects in decades — a self-funded, self-starring four-chapter vision spanning the Civil War era. It exits the year with Chapter 1 on Netflix, Chapter 2 finished but undated, and Chapter 3 barely started. The gap between Costner’s theatrical ambitions and the commercial reality has left the saga at a crossroads. For audiences, the immediate choice is straightforward: catch Chapter 1 on Netflix before July 16, 2025, and decide for yourself whether the Horizon concept deserved a better theatrical fate. For the industry, the lesson is older than the project itself — timing matters, and a seven-week gap between installments is not a strategy when the first one flops.
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Amid Chapter 2 delay rumors, Chapter 1’s reception spotlights the strong performances in its full Chapter 1 cast list, led by Kevin Costner.
Frequently asked questions
What is Horizon: An American Saga about?
It’s an epic Western film series spanning a 15-year period of pre- and post-Civil War expansion, directed by and starring Kevin Costner. The series chronicles multiple storylines set against America’s westward expansion.
Who stars in Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1?
Kevin Costner leads an ensemble cast that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, and Isabelle Fuhrman. Costner also directed the film as part of his decades-long effort to bring the Horizon story to the screen.
How many chapters were planned for Horizon?
Four chapters were originally planned. Chapter 1 was released in 2024, Chapter 2 is complete but delayed, Chapter 3 has only nine days of footage shot with production slated to resume in Spring 2025, and Chapter 4 is in development.
Where can I stream Horizon: An American Saga?
Chapter 1 is available on Netflix in the US through July 16, 2025. Chapter 2 is not currently available on any streaming platform and has no confirmed streaming release date.
What are the reviews for Horizon Chapter 1?
Chapter 1 received a 48% critics score and 71% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The split suggests critics found faults while audiences responded more positively to the epic Western storytelling.
Why did Horizon Chapter 1 underperform at box office?
Chapter 1 became a box office bomb, grossing below its production budget. The theatrical release strategy — back-to-back summer releases with only seven weeks between chapters — backfired when audiences didn’t show up for the first installment.
Is Kevin Costner involved in all Horizon chapters?
Costner is the creator, director, and star of the entire Horizon saga. He self-funded the project and has been developing it since 1988, with the goal of completing all four chapters.
Marcus Webb is Politics & Public Affairs Editor at PublicReport, covering Westminster, Whitehall, devolved governments, public policy and UK political affairs.