'Horizon: An American Saga' Part 2 to premiere at Venice Film Festival

July 31 (UPI) -- Horizon: An American Saga -- Chapter Two will premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Organizers announced Wednesday that the film will have its world premiere out-of-competition Sept. 7 at the 81st annual festival. Horizon: An American Saga -- Chapter 1 will screen at the festival the same day.

Horizon: An American Saga is "a multi-faceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West." The two-part film is co-written, directed, produced by and starring Kevin Costner .

"My dream was always to show Horizon: An American Saga -- Chapter Two at the Venice Film Festival. The fact that now they have decided to show Chapter One earlier in the day and then the World Premiere of Chapter Two that evening shows not only their belief in how the two films work together but their support of a director's vision. I'm indebted to [festival director] Alberto Barbera for his courage and leadership in committing to this cinematic journey. It is with gratitude and excitement that I return to the Venice Film Festival. Long live the movies and those willing to stand for them," Costner said in a statement .

"It is a great pleasure and honor to host the world premiere of the Chapter Two of Horizon: An American Saga , alongside its Chapter One . This late addition to the lineup of the Venice Film Festival pays a heartfelt and respectful tribute to the visionary project of a great actor and director, who invested himself in the epic reconstruction of the years crucial to the founding of the country, digging beyond myth in search of authenticity capable of restoring a piece of history in its complex and contradictory reality," Barbera added.

Costner stars alongside Sienna Miller , Sam Worthington , Giovanni Ribisi, Danny Huston , Jena Malone , Luke Wilson , Ella Hunt, Will Patton and Isabelle Fuhrman.

#BiennaleCinema2024 Chapter Two of @Horizonsaga will have its world premiere #OutOfCompetition on the Lido! Directed by and starring #KevinCostner ( @modernwest ), the film will be screened on Saturday 7 September alongside Chapter One, completing the #Venezia81 programme →... pic.twitter.com/VTXrUZYwph — La Biennale di Venezia (@la_Biennale) July 31, 2024

Chapter One premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and opened in theaters in June. Chapter Two was originally to open Aug. 16 but was postponed this month.

Costner told reporters in June that Horizon will require four films and nearly 12 hours to complete its story.