The streaming service has decided to finish off the show –– which just wrapped up its fourth season, enjoying solid reviews and decent ratings on December 28 –– with a reduced eight-episode order for Season 5.
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While neither the company nor executive producer Taylor Sheridan (who co-created the show with Hugh Dillon) has commented on the move, it may well be tied to the fact that Sheridan is moving his TV and movie producing interests to NBC Universal (more on that below.).
(L to R): Jeremy Renner and Edie Falco in a promotional image for ‘Mayor of Kingstown.’ Photo: Paramount+.
In season four, Mike McLusky’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.
Meanwhile, with those he loves in more danger than ever before, Mike must contend with a headstrong new warden to protect his own while grappling with demons from his past.
The series, despite the recent success, hasn’t been as big as some of Sheridan’s other series, so that might have been a factor.
What’s the future for Taylor Sheridan’s shows?
Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
As mentioned, Sheridan who, along with his coterie of creative team members, has become a TV factory, pumping out series that, while they may not scoop many awards, have certainly cleaned up on the viewership front. Yet he recently signed a big new deal with NBCU to take his film and TV production services there.
Two points on that: he’s still contracted with Paramount on the TV front until 2029, so everything he creates until then will still be based at the company. And the existing series will remain in Paramount’s control, so there’s a chance they could be continued whether or not Sheridan has anything to do with them.
And the man is certainly prolific. Sprung from his first big hit, ‘Yellowstone,’ he has several shows either still running or on the way, with three new series, ‘The Madison’ and ‘Dutton Ranch’ on Paramount+ and the first broadcast iteration of the franchise, ‘Y: Marshals’ on CBS.
Outside of the sprawling ‘Yellowstone’-verse, there’s the likes of ‘Lioness’,‘Tulsa King’ (which has its own spin-off on the way via ‘NOLA King’ and ‘Landman.’ So Sheridan’s footprint on Paramount+ isn’t fading away anytime soon.
(L to R) Sadie Sink, Noah Schapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Caleb McLaughlin in Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things.’
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl (Millie Bobby Brown).
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in ‘The Walking Dead’. Photo: AMC Studios.
Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating zombies. He sets out to find his family and encounters many other survivors along the way.
(L to R) Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey in ’30 Rock’. Photo: NBC.
Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), the head writer for a late-night TV variety show in New York, tries to juggle all the egos around her while chasing her own dream.
(L to R) Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden in ‘Westworld.’ Photo: HBO.
A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.
Antony Starr as John Gillman / Homelander in Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ season 4. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
A group of vigilantes known informally as “The Boys” set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.
A character drama based on the 2001 Elmore Leonard short story “Fire in the Hole.” Leonard’s tale centers around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) of Kentucky, a quiet but strong-willed official of the law. The tale covers his high-stakes job, as well as his strained relationships with his ex-wife and father.
(L to R) Charlie Hunnam and Tommy Flanagan in ‘Sons of Anarchy’. Photo: FX Productions.
The Sons of Anarchy (SOA) are an outlaw motorcycle club with many charters in the United States and overseas. The show focused on the original and founding charter, Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original, often referred to by the acronym SAMCRO, Sam Crow, or simply Redwood Charter. The charter operates both legal and illegal businesses in the small town of Charming, California. They combine gun-running and a garage, and involvement in porn film industry. Clay (Ron Perlman), the charter president, likes it old school and violent; while Jax (Charlie Hunnam), his stepson and the club’s VP, has thoughts about changing the way things are done. Their conflict has effects on both the club and their personal relationship, especially when Jax goes on a personal quest to cleanse the SAMCRO name and image.
(L to R) Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, and David Ramsey in ‘Arrow’. Photo: Warner Bros. Television.
Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow.
(L to R) J.K. Simmons and Krya Sedgwick in ‘The Closer’. Photo: Warner Bros. Television.
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Johnson’s quirky personality and hard-nosed approach often rubs her colleagues the wrong way, but her reputation as one of the world’s best interrogator eventually wins over even her toughest critics.
(L to R) Daniel Breaker as Roger “Scooter” Dunbar, Corey Stoll as Mike Prince, Toney Goins as Philip Charyn, Damian Lewis as Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, David Costabile as Mike ‘Wags’ Wagner, Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, Sakina Jaffrey as Daevisha ‘Dave’ Mahar, Dola Rashad as Kate Sacker and Jeffrey DeMunn as Chuck Rhoades, Sr. in ‘Billions’ Season 7. Photo Credit: Mark Seliger/Showtime.
A complex drama about power politics in the world of New York high finance. Shrewd, savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) are on an explosive collision course, with each using all of his considerable smarts, power and influence to outmaneuver the other. The stakes are in the billions in this timely, provocative series.
Jon Hamm in ‘Made Men’. Photo: Lionsgate Television.
Set in 1960-1970 New York, this sexy, stylized and provocative drama follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising.
Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
Follow the violent world of the Dutton family, who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. Led by their patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner), the family defends their property against constant attack by land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first National Park.
Emilia Clarke in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’ Photo: HBO.
Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night’s Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond.
Bryan Cranston in ‘Breaking Bad’. Photo: Sony Pictures Television.
Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family’s financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.
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11. ‘Succession’ (2018-2023)
Brian Cox in season 4 of HBO’s ‘Succession.’ Photograph by Macall Polay/HBO.
Follow the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they control.
(L to R) Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Wentworth Miller, Peter Stormare and Dominic Purcell in ‘Prison Break’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
Due to a political conspiracy, an innocent man (Dominic Purcell) is sent to death row and his only hope is his brother (Wentworth Miller), who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break the both of them out, from the inside out.
The cast of ‘Battlestar Galactica’. Photo: Universal Media Studios.
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet – the last of humanity – as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.
The cast of ‘The Shield’. Photo: Sony Pictures Television.
The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren’t above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their self-interests intact.
(L to R) Wendell Pierce and Dominic West in ‘The Wire’. Photo: HBO.
Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.
Idris Elba in ‘Luther’. Photo:BBC Studios Drama Productions.
A dark psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as Luther, a man struggling with his own terrible demons, who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts.
(L to R) Sarah Shahi and Damian Lewis in ‘Life’. Photo: Universal Media Studios.
Complex, offbeat Detective Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) returns to the force after serving time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Crews’ new lease on life has provided him with a Zen-like outlook, peace of mind and no need for vengeance, an attitude which can be challenging to maintain when someone he cares about is threatened — or when he is investigating the mystery surrounding the murder he was falsely accused of.
Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in ’24’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
Counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) fights the bad guys of the world, a day at a time. With each week’s episode unfolding in real-time, “24” covers a single day in the life of Bauer each season.
Titus Welliver in season 4 of ‘Bosch’. Photo: Aaron Epstein. Copyright: Amazon Studios
Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), an LAPD homicide detective, stands trial for the fatal shooting of a serial murder suspect. A cold case involving the remains of a missing boy forces Bosch to confront his past. As daring recruit Julia Brasher (Annie Wersching) catches his eye and departmental politics heat up, Bosch will pursue justice at all costs.
(Far Left) LaKeith Stanfield attends a Special Screening of ‘The Book of Clarence’ at Pacific Design Center on December 11, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Sony Pictures. (Center Left) Jason Clarke is Roger Robb in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. (Center Right) Trevante Rhodes as Zyair in ‘Mea Culpa.’ Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix. (Far Right) Sam Claflin as Patrick McKee in Bagman. Photo Credit: Vladislav Lepoev.
Preview:
LaKeith Stanfield, Jason Clarke, Trevante Rhodes and Sam Claflin will star in ‘F.A.S.T.’.
Taylor Sheridan wrote the script.
Warner Bros. is backing the movie.
Before he was known as the creator of half the TV series on our screens these days (many spun off from his hugely successful ‘Yellowstone’), Taylor Sheridan was an actor who made the leap to screenwriting with the likes of ‘Sicario’.
He’s back in gritty, big screen action thriller territory called ‘F.A.S.T.’ and the movie has locked in more of its cast.
Brandon Sklenar as Henry in ‘Drop’, directed by Christopher Landon. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Sheridan’s new script concerns a former special forces commando (Sklenar), down on his luck after he returns Stateside, who is tapped by the DEA to lead a black op strike team against CIA-protected drug dealers in his town.
The quartet are playing a range of roles, from DEA agents to the commando’s former Delta Force colleagues. And they’re not the only ones boarding the movie, as ‘Succession’s Juliana Canfield is also in the cast.
Sheridan is keeping this one in the ‘Yellowstone’ spin-off family –– Ben Richardson, a veteran cinematographer who has directed multiple episodes of ‘1923’, will make his feature directorial debut with the movie.
Production is scheduled to kick off later this month.
What else are the new cast members working on?
LaKeith Stanfield in ‘The Changeling,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Claflin has Harlan Coben TV miniseries ‘Lazarus’ on the way, and another mystery thriller show called ‘Vanished’.
And Canfield is attached to ‘Everlasting Yea!’, the based-on-truth story of the Crafts, following their rise to fame in the Abolitionist movement after their escape from slavery.
When will ‘F.A.S.T.’ be in theaters?
You might think that any project Sheridan generates these days would be snapped up by Paramount, whose streaming service hosts the various ‘Yellowstone’ series and his other shows, but ‘F.A.S.T.’ is instead under Warner Bros.’ banner.
The studio has penciled in an April 23rd, 2027 release date for the new action thriller.
Taylor Sheridan as Cody in Lioness, episode 1, season 2, streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Paramount+.
‘Tulsa King’ follows New York mafia capo Dwight (Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla.
Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
Production on Season 3 of ‘Tulsa King’ has been underway in Atlanta and Oklahoma for a couple of months. Jackson is expected to film his episodes in July, with production on ‘NOLA King’ eying a February start.
The series’ second season debut set a Paramount+ record for most watched global premiere at the time with a reported 21.1 million global streaming viewers.
Dave Erickson, who is showrunner and head writer on both ‘Tulsa King’ and another Sheridan show, ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ (that one stars Jeremy Renner), will stay aboard ‘Kingstown’ but swap his showrunner duties on ‘Tulsa King’ for ‘NOLA King as that gears up to start production.
The new show apparently sprang from an idea by Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, looking to expand the world of ‘Tulsa King’ the way Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’ has spawned multiple offshoots.
Given his prolific career, it might be easier to talk about what he isn’t working on, but Jackson is as ever, busy.
He’s part of the cast for apocalyptic pic ‘Afterburn,’ which is based on the Red 5 Comics graphic novel by Scott Chitwood, Paul Ens and artist Wayne Nichols, and set 10 years after a solar flare has wiped out technology across the globe.
Dave Bautista will play ex-soldier Jake, who works as a treasure hunter recovering valuable objects from the old world for powerful clients. His latest mission is to team with freedom fighter Drea to recover the Mona Lisa before an unhinged warlord gets there first –– all while avoiding mutated creatures that roam the territory.
Jackson will play the supporting role of freedom fighter Valentine. Despite the starry cast, that movie appears to be in something of a release limbo for now.
And then there’s Renny Harlin’s new action thriller ‘The Beast,’ in which Jackson’s U.S. President, in response to an armed coup, must rely on the extensive defensive capabilities of the titular presidential vehicle.
Trivia note: in 2023, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Jackson the actor with the highest-grossing collective box office of all time, with his films (including the ‘Avengers’ franchise and hits like ‘Pulp Fiction’ — for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor — and ‘Jurassic Park’) bringing more than a cumulative $7 billion. All told, Jackson has appeared in more than 150 films.
When will ‘NOLA King’ be on screens?
Given that Jackson still has to film his scenes on ‘Tulsa King’ to set up the new show and ‘NOLA King’ doesn’t even kick off production until early next year, our best guess for a premiere date at this point is later in 2026.
Kevin Costner for ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ at CinemaCon 2024. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
Kevin Costner has co-written and will star in ‘Headhunters.’
It’s the story of surfers looking for the perfect wave on an island that has dark secrets.
Steven Holleran came up with the idea and is co-writing and directing.
For a while there, it looked like Kevin Costner might be pulling a James Cameron and devoting himself almost exclusively to working in one cinematic world, as the latter has done with the ‘Avatar’ movies.
Yet in Costner’s case, the actor/writer/director/producer certainly has not seen the same sorts of financial performance from his own passion project, ‘Horizon: An American Saga.’
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The Western, for which Costner rounded up much of the financing and starred/produced/wrote/directed, was intended to launch a multi-movie story, but while he’s made at least two more entries, the whole wagon train hit a major bump when the first movie landed in theaters with a thud this past June.
It earned a paltry $38 million worldwide from a $100 million budget and put plans for the other movies’ releases on hold for now.
Costner is switching tracks, collaborating with cinematographer Steven Holleran on a new movie called ‘Headhunters,’ which Holleran originated and has co-written with the star.
Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
According to the official logline, ‘Headhunters’ will find Costner as Lazer, a washed-up American ex-pat with a mysterious past who finds himself living in Bali, Indonesia.
Lazer recruits a group of surfers led by Bima, a local photographer, on a journey to an uncharted island to pioneer a “perfect wave.” To their surprise, the island is home to an ancient tribe of headhunters guarding the land at all costs.
What ensues is an adventure turned survival story of epic and bloody proportions on a tropical island which once seemed to be paradise… But is actually closer to hell.
Here’s what Holleran, who will make his directorial debut with the movie, had to say about it:
“My filmmaking journey got its start in the ocean shooting surf videos in California as a teenager. Twenty years later, ‘Headhunters’ brings things full circle and connects three life-long passions of mine — surfing, filmmaking, and adventure.”
He’s in pre-production now, with shooting set to start next month in Hawaii.
Who else is working on ‘Headhunters’?
(L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’
And Costner’s Territory Pictures is co-producing the film alongside Scott Steindorff and his Stone Village Films.
This is what Steindorff had to say about the collaboration:
“For decades, my friend Kevin and I have been searching for the right project to collaborate on. This is one of the best scripts I have seen in my career. Kevin is a legendary actor who brings so much depth and charisma to his roles and has written an iconic horror script with Steve.”
When will ‘Headhunters’ be on screens?
‘Headhunters’ is currently seeking distribution, so there is no release date information to report yet.
One of his earliest film roles was in the classic Western ‘Silverado‘, and he would go on to make the Academy Award winning ‘Dances with Wolves‘, which earned him an Oscar for Best Director. He’s appeared in other Westerns over the years like ‘Wyatt Earp‘, ‘Open Range‘ and ‘Let Him Go,’ but he might be best known to television audiences as John Dutton III on ‘Yellowstone‘.
While Costner has officially left the popular series, fans can see him ride a horse once again in ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,’ which he also directed and will open in theaters on June 28th.
In addition, Costner has three sequels to ‘Horizon’ planned, with ‘Chapter 2‘ already completed and scheduled for release on August 16th. ‘Chapter 3‘ began shooting earlier this year, and ‘Chapter 4‘ is still in development.
In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down every Western Kevin Costner has ever made, including ‘Horizon – Chapter 1’ and his TV work.
NOTE: For this list we are including both traditional Westerns as well as contemporary Westerns.
Kevin Costner in ‘The Postman’. Photo: Warner Bros..
In 2013, there are no highways, no I-ways, no dreams of a better tomorrow, only scattered survivors across what was once the Unites States. Into this apocalyptic wasteland comes an enigmatic drifter (Costner) with a mule, a knack for Shakespeare, and something yet undiscovered: the power to inspire hope.
(L to R) Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid in ‘Wyatt Earp’. Photo: Warner Bros.
From Wichita to Dodge City, to the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Wyatt Earp (Costner) is taught that nothing matters more than family and the law. Joined by his brothers and Doc Holliday (Dennis Quaid), Earp wages war on the dreaded Clanton and McLaury gangs.
Kevin Costner in ‘Hatfields & McCoys’. Photo: Sony Pictures Television.
It’s the true American story of a legendary family feud—one that spanned decades and nearly launched a war between Kentucky and West Virginia. The Hatfield-McCoy saga begins with Devil Anse Hatfield (Costner) and Randall McCoy (Bill Paxton) … Close friends and comrades until near the end of the Civil War, they return to their neighboring homes—Hatfield in West Virginia, McCoy just across the Tug River border in Kentucky—to increasing tensions, misunderstandings and resentments that soon explode into all-out warfare between their families. As hostilities grow, friends, neighbors and outside forces join the fight, bringing the two states to the brink of another civil war.
(L to R) Kevin Costner and T. J. Lowther in ‘A Perfect World’. Photo: Warner Bros.
A kidnapped boy (T. J. Lowther) strikes up a friendship with his captor (Costner), an escaped convict on the run from the law, headed by an honorable U.S. Marshal (Clint Eastwood).
(L to R) Woody Harrelson and Kevin Costner in ‘The Highwaymen’. Photo: Netflix.
In 1934, Frank Hamer (Costner) and Manny Gault (Woody Harrelson), two former Texas Rangers, are commissioned to put an end to the wave of vicious crimes perpetrated by Bonnie Parker (Emily Brobst) and Clyde Barrow (Edward Bossert), a notorious duo of infamous robbers and cold-blooded killers who nevertheless are worshiped by the public.
Explore 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, embark 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.
(L to R) Kevin Costner and Diane Lane in ‘Let Him Go’. Photo: Focus Features.
Following the loss of their son, a retired sheriff (Costner) and his wife (Diane Lane) leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson from the clutches of a dangerous family living off the grid in the Dakotas.
Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
Follow the violent world of the Dutton family, who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. Led by their patriarch John Dutton (Costner), the family defends their property against constant attack by land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first National Park.
(L to R) Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner in ‘Silverado’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Four unwitting heroes (Scott Glenn, Kevin Kline, Danny Glover and Costner) cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and a murderous posse. It’s up to the sharp-shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.
Kevin Costner in ‘Dances with Wolves’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Wounded Civil War soldier, John Dunbar (Costner) tries to commit suicide—and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he’s assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe.
Riding into theaters on June 28th, ‘Does ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ is Kevin Costner’s latest attempt to breathe fresh life into the Western, a genre that was once dominant in theaters before fading away to be replaced by others, re-emerging occasionally as filmmakers such as Clint Eastwood and Costner himself found new ways to present some well-trodden tales.
The big question is, in an era (admittedly closer to the end than the beginning) of superhero dominance, will there still be a demand for horse-drawn epics of rough-hewn frontiersmen and cowboys fighting to secure territory, power or wealth? And has the baton been handed to the small screen where the likes of ‘Yellowstone’ (formerly starring one K. Costner) and its period-set spin-offs are filling that need?
It’s clear that Kevin Costner firmly still believes in the power of the Western. After all, ‘Horizon’ (you’ll forgive us for not writing the whole title out again) is three hours long and represents just the first part of a planned four-chapter story. Costner has ‘Chapter 2’ due on August 16th, with ‘Chapter 3’ in production and ‘Chapter 4’ in development.
While there is plenty to like about the movie –– sun-dappled vistas, a wealth of storylines and even (not shocking coming from the director/star of ‘Dances with Wolves’) a nod to balancing the portrayals of settlers and natives –– ‘Horizon’ really ends up feeling overstuffed, even at three hours long, and one big set up for what is become, meaning the narrative is never all that satisfying (including a montage at the end serving as a trailer for what is to come, which has the feel of a student padding their history essay with footnotes).
Writing with novelist Jon Baird, Costner here aims to turn the clock back to both the Western’s roots and his own work in the genre with the likes of ‘Wolves’ and ‘Wyatt Earp’. Together the duo have crafted a sprawling, multi-story tale of hardy settlers, the natives they come into conflict with and the various characters who orbit both groups. Trouble is, it’s so sprawling and so clearly designed to lay the narrative railroad tracks for the movies to come that it can’t help but turn out unsatisfyingly unfinished, the story less wrapping up than left dangling. One or two of the plotlines have the appearance of completion, but in reality this is more a pilot for a limited series (‘Horizon’ was going to be one at some point in its long gestation) than a fully rounded movie.
Directorially, it’s predictably accomplished, Costner and his crew making full use of the sweeping, glorious vistas of the American countryside and staging some epic standoff scenes (the story is bookended by a violent Apache attack on settlers and a vengeful raid by “white-eyes” on the natives near the end). The trouble comes with some of the characters and performances, whose quality vary wildly from well-sketched (the likes of Sienna Miller’s Frances Kittredge, who loses her husband and son in the first attack) to basic Western cliché (Jon Beavers’ scowlin’, spittin’, villainous Junior Sykes). And aside from Miller, and to a lesser degree, Abbey Lee’s Marigold, the majority of the women are disposable or, in the case of snippy, snooty Juliette Chesney (Ella Hunt) mostly the butt of jokes.
Costner, of course, gives himself a plum role (albeit a character who doesn’t show up in the story for roughly an hour), playing Hayes Ellison, a badass –– but humble! –– travelling worker who is handy with a six-shooter and instantly attractive to beautiful women. Must be nice to be the boss…
With such a full cast, it would be impossible to spotlight them all, but the majority of the actors do what they can with limited screentime (surely something the completed set of movies will repair) and occasionally slim characterization.
A military man, and part of the Union army (since the movie is set during the Civil War but only peripherally touches upon it), Sam Worthington is the anchor for one of the big stories. He’s actually better here than he tends to be in the ‘Avatar’ movies, finding a low-key but authoritative gear and notching solid chemistry with Miller’s widowed woman.
The Apache warrior who leads the initial, brutal assault on the settlers, he’s portrayed as a complicated, hot-headed young man who is looking to fiercely defend his family, tribe and land from the invading new arrivals. That brings him into conflict with the elders, especially his father, who would rather lay low in the relative safety of the mountains. Owen Crow Shoe puts in a solid performance in a couple of scenes.
Luke Wilson gets to show a gruffer side of himself than usual as the leader of a caravan wending its way along the risky the Santa Fe Trail. Not every scene of his storyline works, but he certainly acquits himself with the required grit.
Kevin Costner is certainly to be applauded for keeping the faith with the movie, insisting it stay a big screen experience when there was a thought it could end up on streaming.
Yet the movie is not without some big flaws. Its old-fashioned nature leads to a stew of manly Western man and flighty female cliches, plenty of the dialogue could have used some polishing and the native characters need more shading if they’re to function effectively. Still, if Costner manages to finish the whole film series, there are plenty of hours ahead.
And talking of hours, ‘Chapter 1’ could easily have lost a few sequences that little served the narrative –– it would have functioned perfectly well at two to two-and-a-half hours.
‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the Plot of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?
“Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” 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, Kevin Costner’s movie chronicles 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.
Who is in the Cast of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?
(L to R) Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman in ‘Nine to Five.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Preview:
Actor Dabney Coleman has died.
He was 92.
Coleman will be remembered for playing grumpy authority types and baddies in movies such as ‘9 to 5’.
Dabney Coleman, who spun a career for playing curmudgeonly types who are taken down a peg or 10 by the heroes of the films and shows in which he appears, has died. He was 92.
Despite his on-screen reputation as a grump, he’s remembered as kind, if complicated man in real life.
(L to R) Jessica Lange, Dustin Hoffman, Dabney Coleman and George Gaynes in ‘Tootsie’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Coleman was born in 1932 in Austin, Texas. Following his father’s death, he was raised by his mother, and attended the Virginia Military Institute before serving in the Army and then studying law at the University of Texas.
Shortly before graduating, Coleman elected to drop out and pursued acting, moving to New York where he was trained by Sanford Meisner.
He made his Broadway debut in 1961’s ‘A Call on Kuprin’, which launched a successful stage career, which he then spun into a wide variety of guest roles on TV shows including ‘Kojak’, ‘I Dream of Jeannie’, ‘The Outer Limits’, ‘Dr. Kildare’ and ‘Bonanza’.
(L to R) Dabney Coleman and Henry Thomas in 1984’s ‘Cloak & Dagger’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Appearing first in 1965’s ‘The Slender Thread’, Coleman’s movie career was almost as eclectic as his TV work, initially focused on small roles in movies such as ‘The Towering Inferno’.
Yet he’ll be best recalled for playing sexist boss Franklin Hart Jr. in ‘Nine to Five’, providing a perfect foil for Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin. He enjoyed a far more friendly relationship with Fonda’s character, the next year, in ‘On Golden Pond’.
Ben Stiller was among those who paid tribute following news of Coleman’s death:
The great Dabney Coleman literally created, or defined, really – in a uniquely singular way — an archetype as a character actor. He was so good at what he did it’s hard to imagine movies and television of the last 40 years without him. Xxx
Dabney Coleman as John Dutton Sr. in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’. Credit: Paramount Network.
Coleman’s daughter Quincy confirmed his death in a statement:
“My father crafted his time here on earth with a curious mind, a generous heart, and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity. As he lived, he moved through this final act of his life with elegance, excellence and mastery. A teacher, a hero, and a king, Dabney Coleman is a gift and blessing in life and in death as his spirit will shine through his work, his loved ones and his legacy… Eternally. And always, ‘A goddamn, good looking man.’”
Coleman was married and divorced twice, to Ann Courtney Harrell from 1957 to 1959, then to Jean Hale from 1961 to 1984. He is survived by his children, Meghan, Kelly, Randy and Quincy Coleman; and his grandchildren, Hale and Gabe Torrance, Luie Freundl and Kai and Coleman Biancaniello.
(L to R) Dabney Coleman and Lily Tomlin in ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with series creator Chad Feehan about ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves,’ the historical figure it is based on, his research, production challenges, and working with Taylor Sheridan.
‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ creator Chad Feehan.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, how familiar were you with Bass Reeves and his legend before beginning this series?
Chad Feehan: I was familiar with the mythology of Bass Reeves. I grew up in Texas, I heard stories about him, but those stories were the gun slinging law man pursuing the most hardened criminals in the Wild West. This sort of iconic Black law figure from the era. They sort of implanted themselves in my brain and never left, and they would get reactivated periodically. Recently, Texas Monthly did a big spread on Bass Reeves. Damon (Lindelof) obviously paid a little homage to Bass Reeves in ‘Watchmen,’ but it wasn’t until I first sat down with David Oyelowo, and then based on that conversation scoured the internet, that I really began to understand the breadth of the man’s life and why his legacy deserves to be told in this fashion.
David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.
MF: Can you talk about the research you did for this series, and did you learn anything that surprised you?
CF: A lot of things. With the pilot, for example, I didn’t know that Bass was forced to accompany George Reeves into various battles in the Civil War. That was quite surprising to me. I didn’t know that he escaped enslavement and lived amongst American Indians and Indian territory for several years. The notion of reconstruction, that era of American history was a little nebulous to me. So, learning more about that was surprising. So, there were surprises at every turn.
(L to R) David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves and Shea Whigham as George Reeves in ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.
MF: How much of the show is based in facts and how much creative license did you take?
CF: We know that he was married to Jenny Reeves. It’s been reported that she was the love of his life. We knew that he had a plethora of children. Unequivocally, we know that he spoke native languages. David Oyelowo and I are both dedicated husbands and fathers, and what we tapped into that we were able to also understand about Bass to a degree, is by the nature of our professions, we often must leave our family for months on end. It’s extraordinarily painful to do, and it can cause heartache not only for you, but for your loved ones. So, we wanted to dramatize that because we felt as if Bass may have experienced that same heartache of, you have to leave your family for two months.
(L to R) Lauren E. Banks as Jennie Reeves and David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.
MF: As a showrunner, can you talk about the challenges of making a Western series?
CF: I was involved in every single sort of decision, whether it be picking a location, the design of the Reeve’s house, the wardrobe, the horses. But I had the most incredible collaborators. The wranglers that Taylor Sheridan has accumulated to train these actors and to manage these horses, they’re remarkable talents at what they do. So, I was deeply involved in every step of the way, but at the same time, I had these incredible collaborators and craftspeople who, my job was to tell them the intent and get out of the way.
(L to R) David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves and Dennis Quaid as Sherrill Lynn in ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.
MF: Finally, what has your experience been like working with executive producer Taylor Sheridan?
CF: I’m incredibly grateful to Taylor for entrusting me with this opportunity. He gave me an enormous amount of freedom and autonomy to craft this narrative and then lead the production. At the same time, there was enormous peace in knowing that I had this backstop behind me, somebody as talented and as successful as he is. So, he would read a script and he would say, “Hey, what about adding a scene like this here?” Not surprisingly, it took a script that sang and made it really sing. During production, he’s built this machine that’s so efficient that makes his shows, and I was a beneficiary of getting to experience that machine and have that machine come on board this show. I don’t think we could’ve come close to doing what we did if this crew that has made all these great Westerns together weren’t at our disposal. Then in post, again, he sprinkled some of that magic storytelling dust that seems endless for him, that he can do time and time again. So, I felt enormous pressure, not only to honor Bass, but to live up to the Taylor Sheridan universe. But I also had great comfort in knowing that that backstop was there to support me.
David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.
What is the plot of ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’?
‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ reveals the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West, Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo). The anthology series follows the journey of Reeves and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family.
(L to R) Kevin Costner as John Dutton III, Kelly Reilly as Bethany “Beth” Dutton, and Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
And now he’s been talking to The Hollywood Reporter about his plans for more from the main franchise. ‘Yellowstone’, which stars Kevin Costner as the powerful, gruff patriarch of a wealthy ranching family in modern-day Montana. It has since spawned prequels such as ‘1883’ and ‘1923’ and has scope for other shows.
One big one is a modern-day sequel series called ‘6666’, about the Four Sixes ranch in Texas (a real-life property as opposed to the fictional Dutton property from the series, but also featured in the show). The new show is likely to feature a mostly new cast, led by Matthew McConaughey, who is in negotiations.
Matthew McConaughey in director Yann Demange’s ‘White Boy Rick.’
While it’s still at a relatively early stage, the spin-off is something that Sheridan has been discussing with McConaughey for a while.
Here’s Sheridan on the situation:
“We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching ‘Yellowstone’ and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’”
A future without Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
And a spin-off will come in handy, since Sheridan is in the middle of wrapping up the flagship series, partly because star Kevin Costner is a busy director in his own right.
Costner has reportedly been angling to spend less and less time working on the series, since he’s been a little busy of late. He’s leaving to focus on his own Western epic, a four-movie saga titled ‘Horizon’ that he’s co-writing, directing and starring in. The actor had been trying to get ‘Horizon’ made for 35 years and is expected to wrap the second film this week and has said the first installment might premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Sheridan had this to say about the Costner situation:
“My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct. He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with ‘Yellowstone’. I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward his preferred exit date,’ which we did. My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered. His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful, and I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone. But once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting. He took a lot of this on the chin, and I don’t know that anyone deserves it.”
Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
