Kevin Costner has been an accomplished actor throughout his long career. As one of the most familiar Hollywood faces of the late 80s and early 90s, by the 2000s, he arguably faded away a little after the critical and commercial of two massive epics he directed, Waterworld and The Postman. He did continue to work during this period, making a string of movies, and taking part in other projects as well. However, compared to the kind of acclaim he received in the earlier stages of his career for movies like The Untouchables and Dances with Wolves (for which he won two Academy Awards), Costner’s later work never really reached the same levels.
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That isn’t to say that he was a flop in this period. He still won a few minor awards during those years, but some might say, it wasn’t until 2012 that he began reaching his best again. With his Western miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, he set records in viewership number for The History Channel. He also won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award for it.
Costner’s affinity for Western stories has always been a natural fit. With the massive success that’s come from the hit show Yellowstone, Costner’s upcoming Western epic, Horizon promises to give fans more of what they want to see from him. Critics already believe that the four-part epic will see Costner return to his very best, both as the lead star and its director.
Early Indications That Horizon Will Succeed
Paramount
It isn’t hard to tell that Horizon is likely to be a commercial success. The sheer scale of the project’s plot, which will cover a 15-year period in four large parts, will provide an intimate portrait of settlement in the West before and after the Civil War. The film series will apparently not gloss over this period either, or tell it purely from the perspective of the cowboys. A significant portion of the plot is said to center around the indigenous communities that also lived through this fractious period of history, and suffered greatly during it too.
As if all this wasn’t enough, the cast is as epic as the story promises to be, with over 170 characters. With the likes of Costner himself, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jamie Campbell Bower, Luke Wilson, Thomas Haden Church, Jena Malone, Alejandro Edda, Tatanka Means, Michael Rooker, and Isabelle Fuhrman all being involved, the ambitious project looks set to be massive in every way. Costner has of course proven to be made for Westerns and dramatic cowboy roles, so it seems yet another ideal fit for the now 68-year-old veteran actor.
Costner’s Previous Roles as a Cowboy
Focus Features
Despite his versatility and the acclaim he’s won over the years for other types of roles, Kevin Costner’s mainstay seems to be Westerns. Since his original success from Dancing with Wolves, Costner has always appeared to favor Western movies as his go-to genre. Fans of the star will certainly not be complaining as he is one of those actors that has always seemed like he was born for them.
His other notable Western movies aside from those already mentioned include Silverado, Open Range, Wyatt Earp, and most recently, Let Him Go. With Costner sticking to a winning formula, plus the benefit of the other brilliant cast members, Horizon seems highly likely to showcase his talent at its very best again, both on-screen and behind the camera.
Bucking Trends
Orion Pictures
Costner’s immense screen presence in Westerns is never more apparent than it’s been with the success of Yellowstone. The show and its concept all seemed to be a huge risk. After all, high-end quality TV shows generally stray from overtly conservative themes, especially if they seek acclaim, or to be honored by Hollywood — a typically very liberal industry. In theory, everything seemed to be stacked against Yellowstone.
Despite this, the show struck a chord with viewers for its unflinching commitment to being what it is and staying true to the roots of its core family. Costner has been widely acclaimed for his role in it and is frequently cited as one of the chief reasons for its overwhelming success.
Costner Has Some Surprising Views
Paramount
Given his natural affinity for such roles and the success he’s had with them, it may be easy to believe that Costner is a Republican himself. Surprisingly, despite starting off as one during the Regan administration, Costner has been a long-standing supporter of the Democrat party since the early ’90s. Costner has even supported and endorsed major Democratic Presidential nominees in the recent past.
When you consider this, the ease and convincing way in which he plays conservative roles is a great indicator of what a fantastic actor he’s been over the years. Despite his actual affiliations, he seems to be one of those rare actors who’s able to appeal to wider range of society and break through generational divides too. Costner remains almost universally loved by viewers on both sides of the aisle, not an easy thing to do considering how polarized political divides in society have become over the last decade.
With Horizon set to be an epic in its genre, and as a return to the roles that most Costner fans love best, the film series promises to be a huge hit. Whether the commercial success will follow remains to be seen. Although, there aren’t many insiders who would bet against Costner after Yellowstone.
