Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’ film post-‘Yellowstone’ exit: What to know

Kevin Costner is moving on from “Yellowstone” to new horizons, literally. 

Costner, 68, will direct, produce and star in the Western epic film “Horizon: An American Saga,” hitting theaters in two parts. Chapter 1 will premiere on June 28, 2024, and Chapter 2 will premiere Aug. 16, 2024. 

The epic two-part movie will see Costner going back to the same historical era as one of his first hits, 1990’s “Dances with Wolves,” which he won seven Oscars for. 

The official description for the film says it “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.”

It will be the fourth movie Costner has directed – in addition to “Dances With Wolves,” he also directed “The Postman” (1997) and “Open Range” (2003). 

In addition to Costner, “Horizon” stars Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jeff Fahey, Will Patton, Tatanka Means, Owen Crow Shoe, Ella Hunt and Jamie Campbell Bower.

Costner, who is also in the midst of a divorce after spending 18 years with estranged wife Christine Baumgartner, 49, has previously stated that he’s wanted to make “Horizon” for decades, and he made a personal investment to finance it. 

“I’ve mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house,” he told Deadline in May. “But I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a f–king conniption fit. But it’s my life, and I believe in the idea and the story.”

Costner is just coming off of his five-year stint starring as patriarch John Dutton on Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount ranching family drama hit, “Yellowstone,” which will end after the second half of Season 5. Rumors have flown about Costner and Sheridan allegedly feuding behind the scenes, as Costner’s interests have shifted from “Yellowstone” to “Horizon.”

While he was making “Horizon,” there were rumors that Costner and Sheridan, 53, were having friction about the “Yellowstone” shooting schedule. 

A source told The Daily Mail that Costner, who is also an executive producer on the show, felt dismissed when he raised concerns about the direction that the story was taking — and that he was told to “stick to acting.” 

The source also said that Sheridan had developed a “god complex.” 

“Only Taylor truly knows what is going on,” a source told The Post in April. “Taylor spent years not being truly appreciated in Hollywood, and now that he’s the top of the heap, there’s definitely some ego to all of this.”

Amid the drama, Costner officially announced his exit from the show. “I’m disappointed,” Sheridan told the Hollywood Reporter in June, regarding the breakdown of his relationship with Costner.

The second half of “Yellowstone’s” fifth and final season was originally scheduled to premiere in November, but the writers’ strike (which is now over – but the actors’ strike is still ongoing) delayed it. 

No further date has been announced, yet. 

“My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct,” Sheridan said, referring to “Horizon.”

“He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with ‘Yellowstone.’ I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],’ which we did.”

Sheridan went on to claim that he “never had an issue” with Costner that couldn’t be resolved on the phone.

“But once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting,” he explained. “His movie seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus.”

He added: “I sure hope [the movie is] worth it.”