Oscar-winning director and actor Kevin Costner recently spoke about how faith influenced his upcoming film, Horizon: An American Saga. “Faith is what leads people into the unknown,” Costner, 69, said. The Christian Standt“They just relied on that. There were promises, but promises alone weren’t enough. They had to rely on faith. And people brought that religion with them to the West.”
“I was raised Baptist and the church has always been a part of my life. … So I don’t mind that being reflected in the movie,” the actor said, “I’m not going to force it in. But when you think about why people would leave for the West and say goodbye to people in the East and never see them again, they often found themselves in situations where they didn’t even know what they were doing, so they had to rely on some kind of trust. They were out of control and they needed faith.”
The three-hour film, the first of a four-part series, stars Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Luke Wilson. The first film hits theaters on June 28, while Horizon: An American Saga Chapter Two hits theaters on August 12. The third film is scheduled for release in 2025.
The film was shot in Moab, Utah, and is set during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, when the country was torn apart by war.
Costner has been working on the project since the ’80s and has invested $38 million of his own money into it, and he told CP that the years-long production process required firm faith that the movie would be finished when the time was right.
“Obviously, I’ve had people control me in my life and I try to force things, just like anybody else,” the “Yellowstone” actor said. “You try to force things through willpower and I’ve done that a lot in my life, but I’ve also learned that things come with time. And I think that’s the way my career has progressed, honestly. Everything comes with time. I didn’t suddenly burst onto the scene as a teenager. It took time. So I believe in my journey.”
The film is rated R and is not a faith-based film, but Costner noted that family and faith are strong influences in the story.
Bible verses are sprinkled throughout the film, especially when characters face challenges. In one scene, a colonist quotes: Psalm 91 – “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, so that my cup overflows.“
“I wanted [Scripture to] It’s obviously situational,” Costner said.
Costner, a father of seven, spoke to CP about how the film plays on the theme of family, including the casting of his youngest son, 15-year-old Hayes, as Nathaniel Kittridge.
“Anyone can make a gunfight movie. I’m going to take you to a gunfight. The gunfight is going to be scary and loud,” he said, “but the woman who feels so dirty that she wants to take a bath, or the mother and daughter who realize there’s some hell going on above them and the only way they’re going to survive is to breathe together, I feel an intimacy. I think that’s a really important part of Westerns.”
Though the film is rated R, Costner hopes audiences will share it with younger generations and reinforce his belief that “violence and humanity can coexist.”
“I think a lot of people will say, ‘I’m taking my son or my daughter because they need to understand what their great-grandmother or grandfather went through,'” he said.
“There are violent parts in this film, but at the same time, there is nobility and the importance of family. As she says goodbye to her son, she believes she will be with him again. Violence and humanity can coexist. Although it is rated R, I hope that many people will say, ‘I should let my daughter watch this.'”
Costner won two Academy Awards for his role in the 1990 frontier saga “Dances with Wolves.” He won a Golden Globe for his role as John Dutton. The creators of the long-running TV series “Yellowstone” hope “Horizon” will contribute to the American Western tradition and provide a nuanced understanding of American historical narrative.
“I hope this film can stand on its own. We’re not trying to reinvent the Wild West or set the record straight,” he said, adding that the film seeks to celebrate the resourcefulness and courage of those who went west, while acknowledging the harsh realities and cultural clashes of the time.
“It’s been a huge struggle,” he said. “The resourcefulness that people had to escape, despite not being prepared for life in the West, is something I admire. But I also understand the huge clash between cultures and what we lost. There were people who fled. So I don’t ignore anything. I just go after it. I hope to arrive on the side of action and authenticity.”
Photo credit: ©YouTube/Warner Bros. Pictures
