Kevin Costner Cries Over Crowd Response To His New Film, “Horizon: An American Saga”

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Kevin Costner finally unveiled his highly-anticipated new film, Horizon: An American Saga, at the Cannes Film Festival Sunday.

More than three decades of dreaming and hard work came to life for Kevin Costner on Sunday. The legendary actor notoriously mortgaged his Santa Barbara, California, home to finance the $100-million passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. If reactions to the 3-hour film at this weekend’s screening are any indication, Costner’s gamble will pay off in spades.

Following the film’s screening, every attendee rose to their feet and gave Costner an astounding 7-minute standing ovation, although some reports indicate that the recognition lasted more than 10 minutes. The 69-year-old actor cried as he soaked up the moment, often looking around the room as if taking it all in. Chants of  “Kevin! Kevin! Kevin!” could be heard above the applause.

Kevin Costner gets teary-eyed during the standing ovation for his film “Horizon: An American Saga” at Cannes. pic.twitter.com/ddOxeGUprm

— Variety (@Variety) May 19, 2024

Costner was eventually handed a microphone and addressed the crowd, saying:

“I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak,” Costner said. “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this — neither will my children.”

“I’ll never forget this moment,” says Kevin Costner as he thanks the Cannes Film Festival for receiving his film ‘Horizon’ #Cannes2024 pic.twitter.com/YOmB0WXGdy

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 19, 2024

Kevin then told the crowd that three more installments of the period western drama were on the way following the premiere of part one on June 28. Part two is expected to be released in August.

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Kevin Costner was accompanied to the event by five of his seven children: Daughters Annie (40), Lily (37), Hayden (17), and Grace (13), and son Hayes (15), who stars with his dad in Horizon.

About Horizon: An American Saga

Horizon: An American Saga marks Kevin Costner’s return to directing more than twenty years after he directed “Open Range” and 34 years after his iconic film, Dances With Wolves, earned seven Academy Awards. Costner not only occupies the director’s chair in Horizon, but also stars in the film about “Civil War expansion and the settlement of the American West.”

“Horizon: An American Saga 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’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,” according to a synopsis from Warner Bros.

Kevin Costner Addresses Risky Business Move

In a podcast episode recorded shortly before the Horizon screening at Cannes, Kevin Costner revealed why he was willing to take a financial risk on this passion project. He told Scott Feinberg of the Awards Chatter podcast that he consciously decided never to let his money or possessions control him.

At 69, Costner is likely thinking about his legacy as a filmmaker, an actor, and a father. He wants to be known as a risktaker and a man who doesn’t take “no” for an answer when it comes to something he believes in.

“I had the kind of success that I couldn’t even dream of,” Costner said. “But I don’t want to let this pile of things I have — whether it’s money, whether it’s [possessions], be so important to me that I can’t think about what I want to do. I’m going to keep enough things that my family’s going to be good. … I’d like to have money, I’d like to have nice things, but I thought to myself, ‘That’s going to control me if I let it.’”

Listen to Kevin Costner’s full 75-minute interview with Scott Feinberg when it is released later this week.

See the official trailer for Horizon: An American Saga below.