The lengthy runtime granted to Horizon: An American Saga could be seen as a promising sign, based on historical evidence.
After Kevin Costner departed from Yellowstone to finish Horizon: An American Saga, a project he had been passionate about for 30 years, many of his fans were hoping that it would be worth the wait.
The most recent update on Horizon reveals that, regardless of the outcome, there will be a substantial amount of content to watch. From the beginning, Costner has stated that the Western saga will span approximately 11 hours. According to a report from Deadline, the first film has been confirmed to have a duration of three hours.
As someone new to the genre or who may have only been introduced to it through Costner’s role in Yellowstone, the thought of a grand historical epic may elicit a skeptical response. However, the lengthy duration of the film may indicate that something truly remarkable is in store.
It is not uncommon for Westerns to be lengthy odysseys lasting for hours. This is clearly exemplified in Costner’s own body of work, such as Dances With Wolves, which was also three hours in length and went on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
One particularly noteworthy instance is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which is widely recognized as not only one of the most outstanding Westerns, but also one of the greatest films of all time, with a runtime of just under three hours.
In 2023, it seemed that long movies were the trend, as Oppenheimer took home the Best Picture award at the Academy Awards and earned $953.8 million at the box office. This success demonstrated that contemporary audiences are willing to endure lengthy films. Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which was also released in that year, was a magnificent Western that ran for three and a half hours.
During the 2024 Oscars ceremony, host Jimmy Kimmel made a humorous remark about the length of the nominated films, which sparked backlash on social media afterwards. However, it seems that audiences are now more open to investing their time (literally) in longer films, which could be a positive sign for Horizon’s success.
It is common for Western films to have long and epic storylines, and Kevin Costner seems to be following in the footsteps of his successful film Dances With Wolves by incorporating this particular detail in his latest project.
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