Kevin Costner is facing a storm of criticism following the premiere of his latest project, Horizon: An American Saga, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The four-part Western epic, which he produced, directed, and stars in, received lackluster reviews ahead of its June 28 wide release. Despite the dismal opening, the Oscar-winning actor remains hopeful that his loyal fanbase will embrace the film when it hits theaters.
The first chapter of Horizon is set to be followed by the second installment in August, with the final two parts yet to announce release dates. Critics at Cannes were largely unimpressed, delivering a blow to Costner’s ambitions for the film. A source close to Costner shared that he’s counting on the same fan enthusiasm that made Yellowstone a phenomenon.
“Kevin is still holding out hope that the final arbiter of Horizon: An American Saga Part 1 will be the millions of fans who have fueled Yellowstone’s success over the last five years,” the insider revealed. “He believes that audience reception will ultimately be the true test of the film’s value.”
Costner, 69, has faced a challenging year, marked by a public divorce from his wife Christine Baumgartner and contentious battles with the producers of Yellowstone. Adding to the strain, he had to finance the Horizon films out of his own pocket. The negative reception at Cannes, therefore, hit particularly hard.
“Kevin was warned by marketing execs that he could get hit in the press over this film, and that has now happened,” the source continued. “The critical beatdown he took in Cannes stings, it stings a lot, but Kevin has defied the odds before and he’s even made massive hits out of movies critics didn’t entirely get at first, most notably 1992’s The Bodyguard.”
Despite his illustrious career, which includes two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a Primetime Emmy, Costner feels a lack of support from Hollywood for his ambitious Western project. “What’s more irritating to Kevin is that he really doesn’t feel like he has the film industry behind him on this big swing,” said the source. “It’s supremely annoying to him after all he’s done for Hollywood and especially for the Western genre.”
Nevertheless, Costner remains optimistic, grounded in his faith and trust in his audience. He believes that while critics may have their opinions, his fans have the final say. “He’s a man of faith and of hope, and even if the town isn’t on his side, he’s got a track record of entertaining people by following his muse and sticking to his principles,” the insider added. “It’s not like he hasn’t had flops before, but the biggest successes, the movies that made him a legend, always started out being underestimated.”
As the release of Horizon: An American Saga approaches, Costner is holding on to the belief that he might still have his Hollywood ending, with his loyal fans rallying to support his latest endeavor.
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