The Horizon is a Long Way Off

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If you thought The Longest Day or The Lord of the Rings was long, wait until you see Kevin Costner's Horizon, the first part of which premieres June 27. This is a four-part theatrical series that is filming back-to-back. Costner wrote and directed the film and also stars in the first part, which has a solid (but not all-star) supporting cast including Sienna Miller, Luke Wilson, Giovani Ribisi, Jena Malone, Sam Worthington, Will Patton, and Danny Huston. The same cast, with some additions and subtractions due to characters' demises or other script-related departures, will appear in the second part, which premieres in theaters August 16. The third part is currently filming, with the fourth part to follow. The first part will be three hours long, and the others will presumably be similar lengths.

The plot is described as an epic Western, covering various related storylines over a 15-year period spanning the Civil War. Reviews of the first part, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, were mixed, although the film is supposedly excellent from a technical standpoint. The first part supposedly ends on something of a cliffhanger. At 12+ hours, this epic out-epics The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The question is whether audiences will be willing to follow the story that long. Local theater chains are currently offering discount packages for people buying tickets now for both the first two parts. Certainly, by the time Part 3 debuts, the first two parts will be widely available on streaming.