Kevin Costner Has 'Knocked on Every Door' to Help Finance Third ...

20 May 2024

OMG! Canada

Kevin Costner got candid about partly self-financing his new movie, “Horizon: An American Saga,” at a Cannes Film Festival press conference on Monday.

Kevin Costner - Figure 1 — Photo OMG! Canada

Costner put much of his own fortune into making the $100 million-plus film, including mortgaging his ranch. He directs and stars in the film, which he also produced and co-wrote.

More from Variety

New Italian Label PiperFilm Launches With Paolo Sorrentino's 'Parthenope' and Post-Theatrical Window Deal With Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)

Demi Moore on Full Frontal Nudity With Margaret Qualley in 'The Substance': 'A Very Vulnerable Experience' but I Had a 'Great Partner Who I Felt Very Safe With'

Cannes Title 'Santosh' First Clip Unveiled: 'Religious Intolerance, Casteism, Prejudice and Misogyny Are Sitting Heavily in the Atmosphere' (EXCLUSIVE)

When asked about his struggle to finance the film, Costner said, “I don’t know why it was so hard.”

“You saw the movie. I don’t know why it was so hard to get people to believe in the movie that I wanted to make,” he continued. “You know, I don’t think my movie is better than anybody else’s movie, but I don’t think anybody else’s movie is better than mine. I don’t go out into the world with something I don’t think is good.”

“Horizon” is meant to be a four-part saga, and Costner said he is currently trying to gather resources for its third installment. The second part is due out in August.

“I’ve knocked on every boat in Cannes to help me,” Costner said. “‘Oh come, we’ll have a picture.’ No, come get your checkbook out. Let’s talk money!”

Costner was also asked his view on racism in America. “I’m conscious of race. I live in a place called Compton, Calif. I funded a movie called ‘Black or White,'” he said. “It was my version of a level of racism that existed in our country.”

Regarding the representation of Native people in “Horizon” and why he didn’t tell the story from their perspective, Costner said, “The movie is a journey. It’s not a plot movie, and the Native Americans are represented. I don’t feel the need to try to balance the story. I just try to make it as real as I can.”

At its premiere on Sunday night, “Horizon” earned a seven-minute standing ovation as Costner grew visibly emotional.

The film, a two-part look at the expansion of the American west, is told from the prospective of the cattle ranchers, farmers and soldiers building a future for themselves in the region, as well as the Natives who lived there first.

“Horizon” opens on June 28 in the U.S. with the second chapter debuting in theaters on Aug. 16. The ensemble cast of “Horizon” includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Tatanka Means, Owen Crow Shoe, Jamie Campbell Bower and Thomas Haden Church.

Best of Variety

New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week

What's Coming to Netflix in May 2024

What's Coming to Disney+ in May 2024