HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA 2: Powerhouse Quartet Joins Post Civil War Epic

Powerhouse quartet joins post Civil War epic

The first four cast members join together in Horizon: An American Saga 2, the second of four planned feature films about the Reconstruction and Westward Expansion.

Not for nothing did Kevin Costner claim ‘Saga’ in the subtitle of his feature film tetralogy exploring the events, quoting one reliable source, ’15 years pre- and post Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west.’ From that snippet we may fairly surmise that the epic begins with the Reconstruction. With the first film in post production and two more to follow the second, we may presume that the story picks up where Dances with Wolves left off and covers the period that may or may not overlap with Wyatt Earp.

Costner has recruited a mega cast of epic proportions as well. The number on the roster so far is 34, all household names, and cast in which roles remains undisclosed. But what’s known for certain is that Horizon 2 announced its first spate of powerhouse performers: Kathleen Quinlan, Luke Wilson, Will Patton, and Sam Worthington. Listing the panoply of achievements shared among these veteran professionals may seem unnecessary, but mentioning a few high points won’t go amiss.

Kathleen Quinlan caught the attention of critics and fans alike pretty early in her career, garnering a Golden Globe nomination for a stellar performance in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, a remarkable performance as the strong-willed teacher Helen Foley pitted against a 10-year-old tyrant in the ‘It’s a Good Life’ segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie, and then an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a beleaguered astronaut’s wife (is there any other kind?) in Apollo 13.

Luke Wilson is the youngest of three brothers who have all proven time and again, in collaboration with fellow preppie Wes Anderson, that talent, as often as not, conquers nepotism. That said, your correspondent believes that two of his performances in particular deserve special shout-outs: the Everyman hero Cpl. Joe Bauers in Idiocracy, and his first foray into television as down home Sheriff Hartwell in the X-Files episode, ‘Bad Blood.’

Will Patton has long been a mainstay on the screen, delivering rock solid performances in roles that require subtle performances to be done right. Often cast as sympathetic cops or soldiers, his standouts include performances as General Bethlehem in Costner’s The Postman, the haunted, no- nonsense good ol’ boy Gordon Smallwood in The Mothman Prophesies, then taking two Best Actor Obies for Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love, and most recently among those nominated at the 2020 Academy Awards for their work in Minari.

Australian actor Sam Worthington scored a huge hit with his first lead role as a farmer’s son struggling with his sexual identity in the acclaimed feature, Somersault, collaborating with first time director Cate Shortland, which took a number of AFI trophies. Stateside, Worthington is best known for his role as the paraplegic Marine Jack Sully in James Cameron’s Avatar, and earning critical praise for his performance in the recent Netflix feature, Fractured.

New Line Cinema is already set to distribute the Horizon films, but no hint as to when. Meanwhile, if Costner intends to release any of the completed films while shooting subsequent ones is anyone’s guess, but no surprise if he does, if only to start recouping his investment.

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