Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga was envisioned as a sweeping four-part Western epic, decades in the making. But despite Costner’s deep personal investment—both creatively and financially—the future of the franchise remains uncertain following the underwhelming box office performance of its first installment.

The journey began back in 1988, when Costner first started developing the concept for Horizon. The long-awaited first chapter finally premiered in June 2024, following a high-profile debut at the Cannes Film Festival. However, despite the fanfare, the film struggled to connect with audiences commercially. As a result, the planned August release of Chapter 2 was abruptly pulled, with the studio citing a desire to give audiences more time to discover the first film. Since then, no new release date for Chapter 2 has been announced.

Still, Costner remains committed to the project. At the Venice Film Festival in 2024—where Chapter 2 had its world premiere—he reaffirmed his dedication to completing the saga. “I don’t know how I’m going to make Three right now,” he admitted, “but I’m going to make it. I have to hurry and not let the rock fall back downhill. I’ve gotta go put my hands on it again and start to push it up. It’s a rope that I cannot let go of.”

Costner and co-writer Jon Baird have already completed the scripts for Chapters 3 and 4. In May 2024, Costner revealed that filming on Chapter 3 had begun, though he had to pause production to attend the Cannes premiere of Chapter 1. How far filming progressed before the pause remains unclear, but Costner hinted at the emotional weight of the next chapter, calling it “devastating.”

“If there’s anything that you expect from Part 2, you realize that 2 gets harder than 1,” he said. “It’s hard to go west. Three is the same thing. It gets harder. But I will tell you this—Chapter 3 is devastating. It’s devastating because you begin to know all these people, and life keeps coming at them. And you will see that.”

Since then, updates have been scarce—both for fans and even those involved in the production. Isabelle Fuhrman, who appears in the first two films, recently admitted that she’s in the dark about the status of the second film and unsure what the future holds for Chapter 3. “I have no clue what Kevin’s planning, but he’s probably planning something,” she said. “I’m a really big fan of the second film… I really hope that people will see it when it comes out, and it gives us the opportunity to make the third one. But right now, I’m starting another project and just hoping I get that call from Kevin sometime soon.”

Costner has famously gone all-in on Horizon, personally financing a large portion of the production—including mortgaging his Santa Barbara property. He previously revealed that he expected to invest $98 million of his own money into the first three films alone.

While the dream of a four-part saga is still alive, the road ahead for Horizon: An American Saga is anything but certain. What remains clear, however, is Kevin Costner’s unwavering commitment to finishing what he started—no matter the odds.