Kevin Costner has a reputation for being “difficult” and relentlessly pursuing his own creative visions, despite comments from others that this may be unfeasible. A new report speculates on how Costner reached his current hazardous career status and how one of his key partnerships led to the colossal flop of Horizon: An American Saga.

Costner achieved recognition in Hollywood with hits such as The Untouchables and Field of Dreams, but became a legend when he set out to direct, produce, and star in 1995’s Dances With Wolves, which would go on to win Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars. He then suffered a fall from grace with the mᴀssive flops of Waterworld and The Postman.

Costner made a major comeback when Yellowstone premiered in 2018. However, as the show progressed, growing disputes between Costner and the rest of the cast and crew eventually led to his departure. The Hollywood Reporter now reveals that a physical altercation between Costner and Wes Bentley on the Yellowstone set was a “tipping point.“

THR also delves into how Costner’s obsession with his new project, the four-part film series Horizon, also derailed his Yellowstone tenure. Despite finding no studios interested in the Horizon script, Costner would leave Yellowstone in part to focus on the project, alongside his trusted business partner and sometimes-lawyer, Howard Kaplan, a former accountant for Price Waterhouse​​​​​​.

Kaplan would serve as producer on the budding Horizon film series, following a collective of characters in the American Midwest following the Civil War. Responding to speculation that he personally convinced Costner to leave Yellowstone, Kaplan said in an email: “Anyone who knows Kevin at all knows that he is his own man who makes his own decisions.“

Horizon immediately faced budget problems, which were allegedly dismissed by Costner and Kaplan. Marc Weinstein, the former unit production manager for Horizon, told THR that when he read the script for Chapter 1, he was shocked that the duo believed it could be made for $70 million, estimating that it would cost close to $130 million.

“Howard made enemies out of everyone,” says Weinstein. The manager believes that Kaplan made it impossible for any other creatives to work honestly with Costner in order to save the movie, saying:

I love Kevin Costner. But it got to a point where Howard alienated anyone who tried to get close to Kevin for the good of the project, including myself. The problem is no one knew what was going on with the money, not even Kevin. Kevin let Howard do anything. He let him make decisions, but he wasn’t informed. [Costner] never realized what all of this was going to cost him. It breaks my heart.

Weinstein was initially hired in February 2022 and fired by Kaplan the following Father’s Day. Kaplan responded to Weinstein’s statement, saying:

Marc Weinstein was terminated based on his performance more than eight weeks before the start of pH๏τography on Horizon. Mr. Weinstein was not one of Kevin’s representatives and he would have absolutely no knowledge of what Kevin was or wasn’t aware of.

After receiving mixed reviews at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, the first Horizon movie was released theatrically and grossed under $40 million. It currently has a 51% Rotten Tomatoes score, recouping after its 27% debut. Filming on the second installment is completed, but it currently has no release date, as Warner Bros. pulled out as a distributor.

THR reports that Horizon: An American Saga was a $200 million project, with Costner contributing $38 million out of pocket. The actor-director is still planning on making the next two movies, looking for new financing and distribution options. “But right now, there’s really nothing happening,” says a source close to the project. “But could it still happen? Possibly.“