EXCLUSIVE It used to be people joked about the movie “Lost Horizon.” Produced by Ross Hunter, the extravaganza — starring Peter Finch — was one of the first mega flops in movie history.
Just the word “Horizon” should have tipped off Kevin Costner. His 12 hour “Horizon” project — originally intended for TV — has become a costly mistake.
Today Warner Bros. announced they would not be releasing “Horizon, Pt 2” to theaters on August 16th. Part 1 has been disaster. It will be put on Warner Bros. streaming service, Max, next month. Eventually, Part 2 will premiere on Max, as well.
Then what? I’m told exclusively that Warner Bros. has no contractual obligation for anything beyond Part 2. That film may also make it to MAX. But beyond that, Warner’s is done.
Costner says he’s going to start shooting Part 3 this summer. It may already be underway. But he has no one to distribute it. Forget about Part 4. It’s hard to imagine who would want to get involved in this project considering what’s occurred.
Costner would have to convince someone like Lions Gate to put the film in theaters for a distribution fee. Otherwise, Costner and his producers would be on the hook for everything. It’s unclear what investor would feel enthusiasm for “Horizon.” It’s lost, truly lost.
Is there any chance Costner can go back to “Yellowstone”? His character, John Dutton, has supposedly readily been killed off. Maybe Kevin could play his long lost nice twin, or an ancestor in a “Yellowstone” prequel.
If Costner’s smart, he’ll rewrite part 3 so it wraps up the whole story, and try it sell that one to MAX or whoever will take it.
I hate to say, as I said it before: “The Postman” always rings twice.
