Kevin Costner invested his blood, sweat, tears and $38 million of his own money into it Horizon: an American sagaThe four-part Western epic is Costner’s passion project, and what he risked to bring the first film to life is not lost on his fellow actors.
“It didn’t add any pressure,” actor Luke Wilson told Yahoo Entertainment, “but it was definitely something I took into consideration. When he hired me, he told me he was putting his own money into it. He told me he had a piece of land in Santa Barbara and he was putting it on the line, which I think is just incredibly cool.”
Costner, who bankrolled the film along with two mystery investors, has openly discussed how he mortgaged his sprawling 10-acre beachfront home in Montecito, California, which is worth more than $100 million. The Oscar-winning actor, who also directed and wrote the saga, previously told Yahoo that while he “never thought” he would have such nice things, “money can’t stop me from my dream. I can’t be a slave to these other things that I have.”
Wilson said he is touched by Costner’s passion.
“Hearing him talk about it over the last few weeks, he talks about people who are just trying to make their pile of money in life bigger and bigger, and he says he wants to do everything he can to tell a story that he cares about.” Old-fashioned star explained. “It all comes from the top, and we all just wanted to do a good job [for] him because there’s so much going on. When he hired all of us, he said, ‘And I need your help, too.’ That’s something I’ve never heard from a director before, that I need your help.”
Sienna Miller, who plays settler Frances Kittredge in the film, told Yahoo that everyone on set was motivated to support Costner’s “dream.”
“I think you’re really driven to work really, really hard to support this dream of his and how much he’s personally invested in it,” she explained. “There were no executives on set, there was no studio presence. It felt like an independent film with a really big budget. You just want to do right by this man, because he’s put his heart and soul into making it.”
The British actress said it was a no-brainer to take part in the project. “I grew up in the ’90s, so Kevin Costner was everything to me growing up,” she explained. “There was no way I wasn’t going to make this trip.”
Actor Sam Worthington said he didn’t feel any extra pressure knowing what Costner had invested, but said the Yellowstone The star’s willingness to take risks made him want to participate.
“I like working with a director who takes big risks, and that was certainly it,” says the Avatar the star explained, adding: “With every film you take risks, you never know what will appeal to the audience.”
Costner told Yahoo, “Obviously things are at risk” with these films. However, he doesn’t want to “lose sight of what moves me and what I want to do in my life.”
Warner Bros. will release the first two films this summer. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 will be in cinemas from June 28 Chapter 2 will follow later on August 16. Chapters 3 and 4 have not yet been included and are not yet fully funded.
Costner revealed that for him Horizon will be considered a success if people want to ‘see it again’ and ‘share it’ with loved ones. “Sharing is a sign of something that moves you,” he said.
Horizon: An American Saga —Chapter 1 is in theaters from June 28.
