Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga is facing yet another lawsuit as the filmmaker continues to attempt to find a way to finance the rest of the movie series. Costner leads the production as the director, star, co-writer, and producer of a four-part Western project that has been in development since 1988. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 was poorly received by critics when it was released in the summer of 2024, and the franchise’s future has been in question ever since. As the wait for Chapter 2 continues, the franchise is now being targeted by several lawsuits.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the latest claim comes from the United Costume Corporation, which is now suing Costner’s firm, Horizon Series, for a breach of contract. In the lawsuit, the corporation had an invoice that Horizon rented $58,000 worth of costumes for Chapter 1, then rented an additional $285,000 for Chapter 2. United Costume alleges that these invoices were never paid and they are suing for approximately $350,000. Horizon Series has not commented on the lawsuit.

What This Means For Costner And Horizon

The New Lawsuit Joins A Compilation Of Controversies For Horizon

The Horizon movie franchise had already faced significant struggles before this new lawsuit. Chapter 1 disappointed at the box office, earning just $38.7 million against a $50 million budget and causing ongoing delays for Chapter 2. Though it’s meant to be a four-part series, the report from THR indicates that Costner is still looking for additional financing to finish filming Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. These lawsuits will likely cause further complications to those efforts since this is only one of several lawsuits that were reported this month alone.

New Line Cinema recently filed an arbitration claim against Horizon Series, shortly after City National Bank launched proceedings against New Line and Horizon Series, allegedly due to violations regarding the co-financing agreement. New Line is seeking funding to defend itself against City National Bank. Earlier in the week, stunt double Devyn LaBella also filed a lawsuit against Horizon, as she alleges that she was made to participate in an unscripted rape scene without an intimacy coordinator present. Additionally, LaBella claims that she faced retaliation after reportedly expressing her discomfort.

Our Take On Horizon’s Newest Lawsuit

Horizon’s Future Is Grim

The new lawsuit is only the latest controversy that Horizon: An American Saga has faced since Chapter 1‘s release. This has been a pᴀssion project for Costner, who reportedly put millions of his own money into the film series, and the response from theatrical audiences has been disappointing. Between the worrying box-office returns for Horizon, the ongoing financing issues, and the lawsuits, this series is facing grim prospects. A $350,000 lawsuit is not necessarily damning for a multi-million-dollar production, but it is just another concern as Costner attempts to finish this series.

Source: THR