Kevin Costner’s ambitious cinematic 3-hour epic “Horizon: An American Saga” starts journey in PH cinemas on June 28

An epic journey made for the cinema is about to unfold when “Horizon: An American Saga” hits Philippine cinemas on June 28.

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With his list of notable global hits such as “The Bodyguard”, “Field of Dreams”, “The Untouchables” and his unforgettable roles in “Man of Steel” and Zach Snyder’s “Justice League” among others, Costner’s massive love for the movies resulted in Horizon, risking it all to follow his own dream, even using his own money and mortgaging his properties. 

Kevin Costner’s highly-anticipated latest directorial comeback on the big screen after the success of his latest starrer in western series “Yellowstone” (from which he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a TV series), the 3-hour film “Horizon: An American Saga” brings together an impressive ensemble of actors that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Abbey Lee, Will Patton, Jena Malone, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Jeff Fahey, Isabell Fuhrman, Ella Hunt, David O’Hara, Owen Crowe Shoe, Tatanka Means, Tim Guinee, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Alejandro Edda, James Russo, Jon Beavers, Jaime Campbell Bower and Michael Anganaro.

“Horizon: An American Saga” is a multi- faceted, years-long span of post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. Experienced through the eyes of many, the epic journey is fraught with peril and intrigue from the constant onslaught of natural elements to the interactions with the Native American people who lived on the land and the determination and at many times ruthlessness of those who sought to settle it. 

The movie vastly explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won—and lost—through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865. Costner plays Hayes Ellison, a man whom no one knows about but has a certain set of skills that he tries to bury but is forced to use when a community of people he encountered needed help.  Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.

But first, here’s a treasure of knowledge, your definitive guide on the amazing behind-the-scenes facts of Horizon: An American Saga.

1. Primarily filmed on location in rural areas of Utah, including the Shivwits Reservation west of St. George near the Santa Clara River, Moab, Apple Valley, surrounds of Zion National Park and more. The state provided incredible geological vistas—from planes to mesas to iconic red rocks to mountains and rivers—that evoke the time and places covered in the story.
2. Production utilized Utah locals in numerous capacities, from location managers to background extras to craft services, wagons (and horses), builders and more.
3. Utah has a long, rich history of filming within the state, with thousands of productions captured there since the 1920s, with such Western heavy hitters as John Ford and John Wayne filming there.
4. For authenticity, animal wrangler Scott Perez sourced horned cattle from Mexico, a less hefty-looking breed than today’s more often seen angus cattle, and more period-appropriate. He also sourced oxen from North Carolina, horses from Utah, North Carolina, Texas, New Mexico and even Los Angeles, California, as well as mules from Salt Lake City and Price in Utah.
5. Seasoned rider Kevin Costner selected the horse for his character, Hayes Ellison, from Perez’s personal stables—a horse named Clark.
6. At one point during filming, Perez’s team wrangled a whopping 90 horses (out of a total 110), 30 steers, 10 bucking horses and eight mules at once.
7. Sienna Miller, who plays Frances Kittredge is a history nerd, “To be able to dive in and really experience this era and this moment in history, to be able to work on something that is so impartial and just states the facts, was astounding,” says Miller.
8. Abbey Lee who plays Marigold, a sex worker at that time read a book from the early 1900s by a woman called Nell Kimball as reference for her character.

Rated R-13 by the local censor’s board, “Horizon: An American Saga” opens June 28 in local cinemas nationwide.