What's the Release Date for "Horizon: An America Saga – Chapter 2"?
The initial portion of popular actor Kevin Costner's extended four-part series, titled Horizon: An American Journey, quietly debuted on Netflix this week. Despite struggling in cinemas, the film seems to be connecting with streaming viewers who are just now discovering Costner's historical project.
Set in the rugged frontier town of Horizon, located in the San Pedro Valley during the American Civil War, the film introduces multiple characters such as widow Frances Kittredge (portrayed by Sienna Miller), Lt. Gephardt (Sam Worthington), and Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson). Costner, who also directs, stars as Hayes Ellison, a fugitive cowboy traveling with a prostitute and a young boy after murdering a rival gunman.
If you've just finished Chapter 1, you might be interested in the current status of Horizon: An American Journey — Chapter 2, the sequel to the series. Here's what you should know about the forthcoming Western sequel, including its release date, reviews, cast, and more.
When Will Horizon: An American Journey – Chapter 2 Be Released?
Horizon: An American Journey – Chapter 2 is slated for a 2025 premiere, though an exact release date has yet to be announced. The film, which has already been produced and edited, had its premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in September 2024.
Originally, Chapter 2 was planned for a theatrical release on August 2. However, the first film's box office performance was disappointing, earning only $38 million worldwide, which was shy of its $50 million production budget. As a result, Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema chose to delay the release of the second installment to allow time for audiences to watch the first film on streaming platforms.
“Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema have chosen not to release Horizon: Chapter 2 on August 16 in order to provide audiences with a greater opportunity to explore the initial installment of Horizon over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and MAX,” a New Line spokesperson stated.
Territory Pictures added, “The audience's response to Horizon and their enthusiasm for experiencing the story advance in Horizon 2 has been truly rewarding. Kevin made this film for those who enjoy movies and wanted to embark on a journey. The appreciation and enthusiasm shown by film enthusiasts and theater owners during their first viewing of the first chapter of this saga only serves to strengthen our belief in them and the movies that we produce, and we express our gratitude for their support on this adventure.”
What Is Horizon: An American Journey – Chapter 2 About?
Horizon: An American Journey – Chapter 2 continues the tale of the American West's settlement, delving into the subsequent chapter of the lives of the characters from Part 1. Critics who saw the film at the 2024 Venice Film Festival have already shared their opinions on the second installment—and their reviews are less than favorable.
Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter noted that the second installment "suffers from the same issues as its predecessor: too much setup and not enough payoff; choppy editing that accentuates the lack of harmony between its various narrative threads; and predictable production values that often come off as cheesy and outdated—and not in a good way."
Deadline film critic Stephanie Bunbury wrote that "nothing makes sense" in the second chapter. "There is no structural integrity, no lofty overarching trajectory, no sense that the various stories mesh together to form the saga's title. There are haphazard cuts between stories, often giving the impression that we missed some crucial information during the intervening passages; it's that jarring feeling of arriving midway through a scene that you used to experience when television channels would broadcast movies beyond their commercial breaks."
Who Are the Cast Members for Horizon: An American Journey – Chapter 2?
Costner returns for Horizon: An American Journey – Chapter 2, joined by Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Danny Huston, Jena Malone, Ella Hunt, Will Patton, Luke Wilson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Thomas Haden Church, Glynn Turman, and Kathleen Quinlan, all reprising their roles from the first film.
Watch the official trailer for Horizon: An American Journey below.
In the continuation of Kevin Costner's historical project, 'Horizon: An America Saga – Chapter 2', Costner once again takes on the role of Hayes Ellison. The sequel, which had its premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in 2024, is set to be released in 2025, as mentioned in the official statement from New Line Cinema.
Despite facing negative reviews from critics like Leslie Felperin of 'The Hollywood Reporter', who found that the second installment "suffers from the same issues as its predecessor", Costner and the cast, including Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, and Luke Wilson, return for 'Horizon: An America Saga – Chapter 2'.
