Kevin Costner And Sienna Miller Star In Horizon: American Saga

One of the big debuts at the Cannes Film Festival last month was Horizon: An American Saga, a western epic starring and directed by Kevin Costner. The first of a planned four instalments (this one is subtitled Chapter 1), the movie also stars Sienna Miller alongside Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Michael Rooker and Luke Wilson. Set around the time of the Civil War (the whole saga spans a time period of twelve years), it follows a diverse group of Old West inhabitants as they seek to find the all-important town of Horizon.

What is Horizon: An American Saga- Chapter 1 about?

Billed as a throwback to the days of classic Hollywood western epics, Horizon: An American Saga is planned to consist of four films, with Chapter 1 having debuted at Cannes and Chapter 2 set to arrive later this year in August- future films are still in development. Each is directed and produced by Kevin Costner, as well as starring as the central role of Hayes Ellison, a gunslinger, though he’s just one of many different characters and stories. Sienna Miller meanwhile plays Frances Kittredge, a widow who finds companionship and protection from army lieutenant Trent Gephardt (Worthington). Her husband is killed during the course of the film in a nighttime Apache raid, which is part of a recurring theme of settlers clashing with Native Americans. Sometimes the characters and storylines intersect, and sometimes they don’t (at least in this first film).

What else do we know?

Broadly, it’s about the expansion of the mythical old west and American settlers travelling from the East into those more unknown lands, and Costner has been working on it as a concept for over 35 years. There are clashes between peoples and often the threat of violence in this lawless and rugged world, with Costner, Miller and co.’s characters trying to survive it. The official trailer, which you can view below, gives a glimpse of the cast and storylines, though mostly you’ll get a sense of some of the amazing shots and American West landscapes that are the centrepiece of the film. Other stars set to appear include Danny Huston, Abbey Lee, Jamie Campbell Bower, Will Patton and Thomas Haden Church.

When’s the release date?

Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 releases on 28th June.