Netflix Top 10 Epic killed a franchise after a huge box office bomb
From Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Westerns were once the dominant genre in Hollywood, reaching their peak in the ’50s and ’60s before slowly falling out of favor in the last few decades, despite some standout films, but there have been a few standout films, and one man in particular has worked tirelessly to bring the genre back to the foreground. Kevin Costner, star and director of Dances with wolvesStar of Hatfields & McCoysand star of the modern western Yellowstone, finally brought his passion project with him, Horizon: An American Sagaan epic four-part film series that wanted to bring the western to the cinema in a new way. The problem is that the first film tanked so badly that the sequel’s release was postponed indefinitely, but there’s still hope horizon is now a huge hit on Netflix.
A great start
horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 launched on Netflix at the beginning of January and has been one of the streamer’s top 10 ever since. The first part of the epic saga features a huge cast of characters, some of whom we only see in the final teaser Chapter 2, about several storylines that do not yet overlap. Chapter 1 is not a complete film in which none of the stories come close to a conclusion, but it is a bold experiment in applying the structure of television to films.
The film begins with an Apache raid on the new Horizon settlement, which serves as the catalyst for the first two storylines, in which some survivors seek refuge in a military camp and others seek revenge. At the same time, in the less developed plot, a wagon train is on its way to Horizon when it comes to the attention of the Apaches, and the threat of an impending attack looms over the settlers. Another storyline concerns a young woman on the run from her tormentors, while Costner, as the mysterious Hayes Ellison, becomes involved in her entourage and falls in love with Marigold, a woman of the night.
Every storyline shows potential, and some of the characters, including Jena Malone’s Ellen and one of her pursuers, Caleb Sykes, played by Jamie Campbell Bower (you know him as…) Stranger Things Vecna) stand out from the ensemble. There are some standout moments, including a tense, well-shot shootout that proves Costner knows what he’s doing behind the camera, but for the most part Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 There’s so much going on that it’s easy to miss the details, which is probably why it really takes off Netflix.
We may never see the full saga
In theaters, horizon: The American Saga – Chapter 1 boomThe film grossed $38 million and received a barrage of mediocre reviews. Most critics and fans agreed that the film was okay, but had a lot of build-up without being worthwhile. Originally, Chapter 2 was scheduled to hit theaters two months after the first film’s June debut, but the second film’s release was canceled in early July and no replacement has been announced to date. Given the success of the first film on Netflix, there could be a future for the series, which has three more films planned Streaming Network instead of theater.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 debuted on Max last fall, but the Warner Bros. streaming service lacks Netflix’s presence, and more people likely watchedI shot the film in the last week than in the last few months combined. It would make sense for the streaming service to take on the franchise, especially since Kevin Costner self-financed the production and was eager to bring his passion project to life after decades of working on it. Netflix needs content, and that’s after spending hundreds of millions on Zach Snyder’s Rebel MoonCostner’s Western epic could likely be purchased for an amount that the streamer would consider a rounding error.
For now, if you haven’t seen it yet Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1it’s still worth checking out on Netflix, if for no other reason than to watch Kevin Costner pour his heart out on screen for three hours. At least now that it’s streaming you can take a break and take a bathroom break. And if enough people stream it, maybe one day we’ll be able to see the rest of the epic.
