Kevin Costner talks about what sets Horizon apart from other westerns and why the genre had gotten lazy

Kevin Costner‘s Horizon is just over the… well, horizon. After films like Dances with Wolves, Wyatt Earp, Open Range, and even doing a little stint on the show Hatfields & McCoys, Costner has demonstrated his love for the genre and the American West. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One debuted at Cannes, and the reactions have been hitting similar points, which are that Costner had made an engaging film, but the length can get taxing on the viewer. The word “sprawling” would come up in a number of reviews, and Costner’s grand ol’ fashion of introducing a multitude of characters was a factor.

The first chapter of the historical epic releases next week and Costner is currently doing the rounds for promotion. According to ScreenRant, the former Yellowstone star appeared on Jake’s Takes, where he outlines why he thinks the Western genre isn’t as prevalent as it once was. Costner explained, “I think it’s hard to make a good Western. And I think that when people are lazy in their approach, that it’s just dirty. Or somebody gets killed in the first minute so the hero gets to kill someone the rest of the movie. I guess if that’s done really well, it could be entertaining, but too often that’s just in a lot of people’s hands, what happens. So it’s no wonder that people rejected Westerns. Because they don’t see themselves in it.”

Horizon‘s trailers give off a more old-fashioned vibe with less modern flash to it. The writer, director and star also expounded on how Horizon differs from other Westerns, “But, you know, the strength in Horizon is the women. I have seven women operating in Horizon that you just can’t believe their experience.

And the acting that’s going on. And how hard it was on women. And so, I have the gunfights, I have all the action, I have the stuff. But it comes up, it just comes up in a way that’s genuine. A way that it feels authentic. But in the meantime, I’m dealing with issues like a woman bathing. Just because she just feels so dirty from being where she’s at, and there’s not a woman in the audience that won’t relate to how that water is making her feel. And suddenly, the stage picture changes and something else happens. And so, that’s the kind of thing that I like to infuse a Western with. Is scenes that aren’t normally associated with Westerns.”

The first part of Horizon: An America Saga will be released in theaters on June 28th, followed by the second part on August 16th.