A month before Kevin Costner releases the first part of his western “Horizon: An American Saga” in theaters, the actor-director came to the Cannes Film Festival to present his self-funded project, reports the Associated Press.
The movies are actually two, and if Costner decides, they could be four. “Horizon: Chapter One”, which runs for three hours, will be released by Warner Bros. in theaters June 28. “Chapter Two” next August 16. Costner has ready scripts for the third and fourth parts.
This is the seventh time Costner, 69, has directed, after "Our Little War" (2011), "Free Territory" (2003), "The Postman" (1997), "Messiah of the Future" (1997), "Water World" (1995) and "Dances with Wolves" (1990).
When he does, Costner usually does it with a clear passion for storytelling and character development. This is also set forth in the wide-ranging epic “Horizon” with a cast including Sienna Miller, Abbey Lee, Sam Worthington and Costner himself.
This is also Costner's biggest risk in history. To raise the money for the $100 million-plus production, he mortgaged his beachfront mansion in Santa Barbara, California. He tries to make “Horizon” more than 30 years.
“Thank God for Cannes. I’m basically an independent filmmaker and I’m on my own here,” said Costner, which premiered Sunday. “So this is an important moment for me because it helps me promote a film. I don't have all the money in the world, but I have my time and my platform here.” Costner said.
"I don't try to let fear control my instincts on any level. I don't want to live like this. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the decision I had to make. I don't know what you think about the movie, but I feel like it's really mainstream. I don't feel like I'm an avant-garde type of person. But I still think my stuff is a little off," the actor-director continued.
"I like to see men's behavior that makes sense. I make films for men. I just make sure there are great female characters because that's really important to me. The backbone of our film is actually the women. I don't like guys acting stupid. I like the little boy who, fleeing from an attack, takes the two horses and effectively saves another life. I like to see people behave honestly in desperate situations. The heroism of a little boy who says “I will stay with you, father” is a really strong moment. This is my son (Hayes Costner) and it was very hard to watch.
In every century, every decade, there are salesmen who sell something they don't really know what it is. It's just America. It's just this giant experiment of hope," concludes the star of American and world cinema.