Kevin Costner is opening up about why he put so much on the line to create his ambitious four-film series.
Kevin Costner is getting candid about the cost of his latest big screen venture. The actor and filmmaker opens up to GQ about the making of Horizon: An American Saga, including his decision to self-fund the film alongside two unnamed outside investors.
"I know they say I've got $20 million of my own money in this movie," Costner told the mag for its Summer Issue, addressing media reports on the topic. "It's not true. I've now got about $38 million in the film. That's the truth. That's the real number."
On Sunday, the veteran actor, 69, was joined by five of his seven children on the red carpet for his film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Inside the theater, Costner became emotional as he received a 7-minute standing ovation for the western drama that has been years in the making.
"I felt time slipping," he said of the project.
"I thought the window was closing on me being able to be an effective part in that movie," he added. "And so I basically burned my ships."
Doubling down, Costner continued, "Like Cortés, we're f**king here. I'm going to make this. And I mortgaged property. Now do you get it?"
Costner also admitted to needing a job following the pandemic.
"I was working and really realized at a couple points I needed to work a little bit more, for various reasons. Just the instinct of what I would have to do as a quote-unquote provider. I needed to establish a couple of things," he said.
Rather than finding ways to invest in properties or businesses, Costner explained that he hoped to set an example about passion for his children.
"That's the message I want my kids to understand about who I am: that I do what I believe in," he said.
Costner has had a rocky year that included a divorce from his ex-wife, Christine Baumgartner, after 18 years of marriage, and his exit from Paramount's hit drama Yellowstone.
"I've taken big bites out of life, life's taken big ones out of me, right? I'm not going to lose myself because I've been bruised," he said. "I have been, but I’m not going to lose myself. And what I'm going to do is -- because we are now after the white whale, OK? So I can’t let go of this rope no matter how much my heart’s on the ground, no matter how broken I may be on a daily basis, I can't let go of this rope because if I do, this thing called Horizon will stop. And Horizon’s not more important than the other things in my life, but I do have a level of responsibility to those guys that invested with me, to the people that believe in me, to the people that want to work all four of these, and are willing to postpone other jobs on the hint that I might work. And so it doesn't matter how much water's hitting me in the face, I can't let go of the rope that is this thing."
Horizon: An American Saga is set in the pre-and-post-American Civil War period, depicting the expansion of the American West. All in all, Costner's ambitious project will total four films. The official description for the film says Horizon "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."
Chapter One will hit theaters June 28, followed by Chapter Two on Aug. 16.
Last month, Costner spoke with ET and revealed his son Hayes' special connection to the project and how he inspired him to get to work on it.
"I named him after the character I play in this. My character's name is Hayes Ellison," Costner told ET. "And I named Hayes that character. So I was watching him grow up and I was thinking, 'Man, I better get with it and make this movie.'"
The Oscar-winning actor revealed that his son didn't have to audition for the role. While that's an unconventional take for the star, Costner gushed about Hayes' work and dedication to the film.
"I captured him and I brought him on, and he's very good in this small part that he's done," Costner raved. "If you see it, I think he has an impact on the movie."
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