"That's the real number"— Kevin Costner claims to have invested $38 million to make his long-time passion project Horizon

Kevin Costner, the American actor and producer, recently confirmed the news about him spending $38 million of his own money to co-finance his new Western epic Horizon: An American Saga, a two-part installment. On Monday, May 20, 2024, the 69-year-old was featured in a new GQ magazine cover story in which he discussed the reports of his investment.

"I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie. It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number."

Costner also took out a mortgage on his Santa Barbara family home in California, to help fund the series' first two films, Horizon: An American Saga and Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2. The actor currently has scripts ready for parts three and four of the franchise, in addition to the two upcoming films.

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"I got my suitcase on the end of the street" — Kevin Costner looking for financiers for last two parts of Horizon films

Kevin Costner wrote, directed and starred in the first two parts of the Horizon movies. The Horizon: An American Saga had a world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024. According to the GQ interview, Costner wrote the initial story back in 1988, however, the movie was not made earlier due to a budget dispute with Disney in 2003.

“In 2003, he was going to make ‘Horizon’ with Disney, but the director and the studio were $5 million apart on the budget, and so Costner—never one to compromise on something he regards as important—walked away."

In 2012, the actor and his co-writer, Jon Baird, expanded the story into four installments. Kevin Costner explained the logic behind turning the original script into four scripts as he struggled to find financiers. As per the interview, he had a theoretical conversation with a psychiatrist and said,

"I guess the answer is because I believe. But I can also see that psychiatrist going, ‘Yeah, but no one wanted one, and you just did four.’ As if I didn’t hear her the first time. And I can’t defend that psyche. I can’t defend anything other than the story just kept getting better and better for me."

The first movie, Horizon: An American Saga, is funded by Kevin Costner and two investors who have not yet been publicly named. The three-hour film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received a seven-minute standing ovation.

Costner revealed that he is already working on the third movie in the four-part saga, but neither of the final two installments is fully funded. Talking about the finances of the next films and potential investors, he said,

"I got my suitcase on the end of the street, you know, and seeing: Where are all you brave, rich billionaires? If I hear the word billionaire one more time, I think I’m going to puke. I need somebody that’s impulsive, is emotional, has money, and wants to go west. And it’s like: Now let’s see how much of a gambler you are. Because everything I have is in the movie."

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Kevin Costner has a net worth of $250 million. The actor mortgaged his California ranch to begin raising the $100 million needed for his project to come to life. He has already put in more than $38 million for the franchise; however, it is unknown how much he will contribute to the final two films.

Horizon: An American Saga follows the story of the construction of an Old West town during a pivotal moment of America’s expansion. There are several known stars acting in the movie, along with Costner. The cast includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, and Michael Rooker, among others.

Warner Brothers is set to release the first two installments in theaters this summer. The first movie opens in theaters on June 28, 2024, in the United States, while the second chapter will premiere on August 16.