Warner Bros. Pulls August Release of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2’

In a crushing blow to Kevin Costner‘s passion project, Warner Bros. has announced that it will delay the release of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 indefinitely. Originally slated to release on August 16, with tickets already on sale, the studio and Costner’s Territory Pictures have decided to take a different approach with their release plans, after the first film bombed at the box office.

Instead, they hope Chapter 1 gains more legs and interest in cinemas and at home. A VOD release is planned for July 16, and a premiere on Max is forthcoming.

In a statement released on THR, a New Line Cinema spokesperson said, “Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema have decided not to release Horizon: Chapter 2 on August 16 in order to give audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of Horizon over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and MAX. We thank our exhibition partners for their continued support as moviegoers across the US discover the film in its theatrical run.”

Separately, Territory Pictures said, “The audience response to Horizon, and enthusiasm for seeing our story continue in Horizon 2, has been incredibly gratifying. Kevin made this film for people who love movies and who wanted to go on a journey. The support that we have received from film fans, and the theater owners, as they experience the first chapter of this saga only serves to reinforce our belief in them and the films that we have made, and we thank them for coming on board for the ride. We welcome the opportunity for that window to be expanded as we know it will only serve to enhance the experience of seeing Horizon 2.”

With a large $100 million budget, the movie opened to a dismal $11 million at the box office, even if Costner states that a movie isn’t about its opening weekend but about its life. It seems that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are thinking differently about the theatrical prospects of the rest of Costner’s films, to which he spent over $38 million of his own money to get made.

Here’s hoping that one way or another, audiences will be able to see Costner’s full vision on the screen, preferably in a theater, as Chapters 3 and 4 are currently in production.

Source: THR