Kevin Costner brings vision for ‘Horizon’ to life with Utah’s ‘raw beauty’

ST. GEORGE, Utah ( ABC4 ) — As the first installment of Kevin Costner’s “Horizon” saga comes to theaters this weekend, ABC4’s Film Critic Patrick Beatty sat down with Costner to learn more about his inspirations and the influence Utah has on the multi-part series.

“Horizon: An American Saga”, filmed in southern Utah, is the start to the project set to chronicle the expansion of the American West. The series has been a dream that Costner has been trying to make a reality for more than 30 years.

Costner shared that when it came to deciding on a location for the film, Utah just felt right, adding it wouldn’t be the same if it were shot anywhere else.

“Utah really has almost anything you can ask for and the raw beauty that’s there, it just stuns people when they see it,” he said. “To set a dramatic story that we know happened a million times right there, it made the difference to me.”

“Horizon: An American Saga” will be hitting the theaters this Friday, June 28 . The second part of the series is set to release in August, and the third is currently being filmed near St. George.

“The truth for me, I know it may have an R on it, but I really believe that a lot of men and women in Utah will say, ‘You know what? I think our son should see this. I think our daughters should see this,'” he said. “They’re the ones to set that rule, but, the trip west by their ancestors, this looks a lot like it….There is violence, there’s no question. But there’s a lot of humanity, a lot of noble acts….This is what it was for your great-grandparents. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t simple. It was hard.”

In addition to the “Horizon” project, Costner has another development in the works — a 500-acre studio called Territory Film Studios in St. George. It’s expected to include two sound studios, a production warehouse for set design, and a restaurant set offering catering services.

When asked about the theme for the restaurant, Costner said he hopes to create a classy place for people to enjoy a meal at.

“I think that there is kind of wonder about what goes on in Hollywood and the great movies that we’ve seen and we’ll see. So, whatever theme we come up with, I hope it’s classy,” he said.

Keep an eye out for Beatty’s review of “Horizon: An American Saga” on See It or Skip It this weekend on ABC4.com.

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