Kevin Costner's big Western sequel pulled from theaters just weeks before its release

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
(Image credit: New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Kevin Costner's big Western sequel Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 is no longer coming to theaters this August. 

The first movie released in June, but disappointed at the box office with a global gross of just $25,207,600. 

The sequel is still set to get a theatrical release, though the new date is unknown for now. Instead of pressing ahead with the planned release, distributor New Line Cinema and Costner's own Territory Pictures are planning on giving the first movie more time to find its audience on Premium VOD from July 16, while it's also still playing in theaters. 

"Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema have decided not to release Horizon: Chapter 2 on August 16 in order to give audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of Horizon over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and Max," said a New Line spokesperson (H/T The Hollywood Reporter). "We thank our exhibition partners for their continued support as moviegoers across the US discover the film in its theatrical run." 

The Horizon saga is a passion project for director/co-writer/producer/star Costner, who put his own money into the first movie. He's planning on releasing four films in total, which will span 12 years and explore the American West across the pre- and post-Civil War years. 

"The audience response to Horizon, and enthusiasm for seeing our story continue in Horizon 2, has been incredibly gratifying. Kevin made this film for people who love movies and who wanted to go on a journey," said Territory Pictures. "The support that we have received from film fans, and the theater owners, as they experience the first chapter of this saga only serves to reinforce our belief in them and the films that we have made, and we thank them for coming on board for the ride. We welcome the opportunity for that window to be expanded as we know it will only serve to enhance the experience of seeing Horizon 2."

While you wait for Chapter 2, check out our guide to all the upcoming major movie release dates for everything the year has in store. 

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.