The first chapter in Kevin Costner’s four or possibly even five-part cowboy epic is the movie equivalent of a three-hour ride around a western theme park. If you’re a fan of Stetsons, stirrups and six-shooters – and if you have plenty of patience – you may enjoy the experience. But there’s a hell of a lot of waiting around before you get properly in the saddle.
Horizon is a project Costner has been trying to make since the late Eighties, and designed to expand into multiple films over many years, each exploring the impact of the American civil war on the fictional town of its title. The first two chapters are complete (the second is due for release in August). Part three is in production and part four is due to shoot next year. Major studios wouldn’t finance a project on this scale, so Costner mortgaged properties to pay for it himself. He recently told Empire magazine that he has pumped an astronomical $58m (£45m) of his own money into the saga.
