Based on the original story written by Kevin Costner, Jon Baird, and Mark Kasdan, Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1 is the first installment in the four planned epic westerns. Directed by Costner, the story explores the expansion of the American West before and after the Civil War. Spanning the four years of the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, Horizon: An American Saga takes the audience on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself.
Yellowstone star calls Horizon: An American Saga his passion project, which reportedly he has been waiting to bring to life on screen since 1988. Upon release, the movie received mixed reviews from the critics and the audience. Costner, however, continued to develop Chapter 2, which is scheduled for release in late 2024. However, fans have pointed out that Costner can learn one thing from Joker 2’s director, Todd Phillips.
Todd Phillips talks about how the sequel Joker: Folie à Deux came to life
Todd Phillips is gearing up for the release of his hotly anticipated psychological musical thriller Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. The movie is serving as the sequel to 2019’s Joker. The filmmaker had previously clarified that they didn’t intend to have a sequel when they worked on Joker.
In an interview with Variety, Phillips shared that before they wrapped the shoot of the Joker, Phoenix confessed to him that he wasn’t ready to let go of Arthur Fleck. He shared that Phoenix had a vision of Fleck performing onstage, telling jokes, and singing. The filmmaker had shared in 2019 with Total Film Magazine when asked if he’d return for a sequel,
I would do anything with Joaquin, any day of the week. There’s no one like him. If he was willing to do it, and if people show up to this movie, Warners came to us and said, ‘You know what? If you guys could think of something…’ Well, I have a feeling that he and I could think of something.
One of the reasons why Phillips went ahead with Joker: Folie à Deux was because of the appreciation Joker received. Critics and the audience appreciated the makers for the performances of the actors, direction, visual style, and more. Joker grossed over $1 billion, becoming the first highest-grossing R-rated film until Deadpool & Wolverine surpassed it in 2024.
During an interview with Jake’s Takes, Phillips was asked about making a sequel when, years ago, he said that he did not think there was going to be a sequel. Addressing the same, he said,
When you make a movie, you don’t want to sound cocky, and when we did that interview, that was probably two weeks before the movie came out, and maybe the movie would have been rejected by the audience. You don’t want to be like, well, Joaquin Phoenix, and I already have the architecture for a sequel; we just hope people show up; it just did not feel right.
Phillips added that at that moment they did not know if there was going to be a sequel, but all he knew was that he and Phoenix loved working together, and they both loved Arthur Fleck. Thus, Joker: Folie à Deux was a result of their conversion during the pandemic and now fans want Costner to learn this from Phillips.
Kevin Costner could listen to some feedback for Horizon: An American Saga
After listening to Phillips’ modest replies to how Joker: Folie à Deux finally came into play, fans, and critics have pointed out that Kevin Costner, who had planned the four-part movie for Horizon: An American Saga, should have taken things slowly.
Chapter 2 premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and is scheduled for release later this year. Talking about the performance of Chapter 1 and what one can expect from Chapter 2, he said (via Deadline)
It didn’t have overwhelming success, but I’ve had a lot of movies that have stood the test of time. If there’s anything that you expect from Part 2, you realize that 2 gets harder than 1. It’s hard to go west. 3 is the same thing. It gets harder. But I’ll tell you this Chapter 3 is devastating.
The Yellowstone actor mentioned that he is keen to keep moving with the movies because he cannot let the rock fall back downhill. He concluded that he does not know how he’s going to make a third one, but he will.
Fans noted that the actor should have waited to see the response for Chapter 1, and if he was adamant about making all four parts, he should have listened to the criticism or suggestions and worked on them. Just like how Phillips’ Joker had a satisfying ending, Costner should have worked on those areas of his story instead of planning out four movies in advance without knowing how the public would react to it.
The success or failure of a movie at the end of the day depends upon the audience, and they feel that the actor should have waited before heading for sequels.
Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled for October 2, 2024.
Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 is available on Prime Video.
Frequently asked questions
What lesson do fans think Kevin Costner could learn from Todd Phillips?
The article reports that fans and critics feel Costner should have taken Horizon: An American Saga slowly, the way Todd Phillips approached a Joker sequel. Phillips waited to gauge audience reaction before committing to Joker: Folie a Deux, whereas Costner planned all four Horizon chapters in advance. Fans suggest Costner should have waited for Chapter 1’s response and incorporated criticism before continuing.
Why did Todd Phillips initially say there would be no Joker sequel?
Phillips told Jake’s Takes that when he gave that interview, roughly two weeks before Joker released in 2019, he did not want to sound cocky since the film could still have been rejected by audiences. He said it would not have felt right to claim he and Joaquin Phoenix already had the architecture for a sequel while merely hoping people would show up to the first movie.
How did Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 perform and where can I watch it?
Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 received mixed reviews and a modest box office (about $38.7 million worldwide). Costner himself said, reportedly via Deadline, that it did not have overwhelming success, though he noted many of his films have stood the test of time. Per the article, Chapter 1 is available to stream on Prime Video, while Chapter 2 premiered at the 81st Venice Film Festival in September 2024.
