Kevin Costner's "Horizon" struggles but eyes Oscar nods

Kevin Costner presented his two-part work at major festivals in Europe. "Horizon: Chapter 1" had its world premiere at the Cannes Festival. A few months later, the Hollywood star arrived in Venice to showcase "Horizon: Chapter 2."

The ceremonial screening of the film, for which Costner was the producer, director, screenwriter, and lead actor, ended in Cannes with a ten-minute standing ovation. However, journalists noted that the audience applauded not so much the film itself but the overall creative effort. Critics were not forgiving in their reviews of the Hollywood star's magnum opus. A few weeks later, the production, which cost around 135 million Canadian dollars, failed in theatres. Worldwide distribution revenues reached only 51 million Canadian dollars.

The failure was particularly severe in European countries, where Costner could always rely on success when his film failed in the States (see, for example, "Waterworld"). "Horizon: Chapter 1" earned only 12 million Canadian dollars in the international market.

It was an even greater disappointment meeting Kevin Costner during the Venice festival. Audiences coldly received the second part of the epic saga (it was applauded for only 3 minutes). To make matters worse, the media reported that the American premiere of "Horizon: Chapter 2," planned for the end of September, was cancelled. The film was withdrawn from theatrical distribution.

However, Kevin Costner does not give up. "I have made many films that have stood the test of time. Some of them did not succeed upon release and were only appreciated later," he said in an interview. He also announced his plans to make two more films in the saga. I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll manage," the actor concluded.

Meanwhile, "Horizon: Chapter 1" made the shortlist of Oscar candidates for best music (created by John Debney). The film may receive two to three nominations in more technical categories.