Will Kevin Costner release ‘Horizon: Chapter 2’? Here’s what we know about the delayed western sequel
Nearly two years after stumbling at the box office, ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ is suddenly finding a second life online. The western epic, led by Kevin Costner, recently arrived on Amazon Prime Video, and viewers are finally giving the movie another shot after many skipped it during its theatrical run back in 2024. The movie had previously released on HBO Max in August 2024, but it left the platform in February 2026. Its move to Prime Video appears to have sparked new interest. Costner’s passion project was originally planned as a massive four-part western saga. The actor not only starred in the films but also directed and co-wrote them. For years, he talked openly about wanting to create a sprawling frontier story inspired by classic Hollywood westerns.
It was clearly a dream project for him, even if the road turned out bumpier than expected. ‘Chapter 1’ hit theaters on June 28, 2024. At the time, the rollout plan sounded aggressive but exciting. ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2’ was supposed to arrive less than two months later, with a release date locked for August 16, 2024. The idea was to keep audiences invested by releasing the movies close together. That plan did not last long. The first film struggled to bring moviegoers into theaters and ended its domestic run with about $29 million in the United States. Worldwide, the total climbed to only around $38 million. Soon after, New Line Cinema decided to pump the brakes on the sequel’s release. In July 2024, the studio confirmed that ‘Chapter 2’ would no longer arrive in August as planned.
At the time, New Line Cinema explained that the delay would allow “audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of ‘Horizon’ over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and Max.” Territory Pictures, Costner’s production company, shared a similar message. The company said expanding the viewing window for the first movie would help audiences connect with the story before the sequel arrived. The statement read, “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’.” Even though the second movie never received a proper theatrical release date, it was not completely shelved.
‘Chapter 2’ premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2024. The film later screened again during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2025. Still, fans have spent months wondering whether the larger franchise will actually continue. Costner, however, has not backed away from the project. In a November 2024 interview with Deadline, the actor admitted he was still trying to keep the western saga alive. He stated, “I’m hoping, I’m dreaming, I’m meeting all the billionaires that we all hear about — they’re all hiding in the shadows.” For now, the future of the ‘Horizon’ franchise remains uncertain. Chapter 2 still has no official release date, and the planned third and fourth installments remain up in the air.
