Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures
Over the Christmas break, Netflix added a slew of the biggest 2024 theatrical movies from Warner Bros. Pictures, including the Kevin Costner movie. As the film title suggests, more should be on the way, but whether it’ll come to Netflix (or release at all) remains in the air.
As you may know, Chapter 2 of Horizon: An American Saga was already meant to be released by this point. The original plan was to release the two movies just like the Fear Street trilogy hit Netflix across several months in 2021. Chapter 1 would release in June as it actually did, and then the sequel, already shot at that point, would hit theaters on August 16th, 2024.
Things didn’t go according to plan, though, because Chapter 1 was/is considered to be a box office bomb, which led to an indefinite delay for Chapter 2 in mid-July 2024. The studio spun that as giving a chance for the first movie to find an audience before the second film would release, but others suggested it may just be a good reason to dump Chapter 2 on streaming (specifically on Max) instead. Rumors were also floated over the summer ahead of its theatrical release that Netflix even offered to acquire the movies outright.
With Chapter 2’s release up in the air, production ultimately stalled on Chapter 3 with plans to pick up again in Spring 2025. Chapter 4 remains in development.
Will Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2 be on Netflix or Still Head to Theaters?
This is in flux, but the current understanding and reporting from the Hollywood trades are that Chapter 2 is still intended for a theatrical release sometime in 2025. However, it doesn’t have an official release date.
If you navigate to the official Warner Bros. Pictures webpage for Part 2, it doesn’t reveal much more information. As of the time of publishing, it just lists “TBA” (although the copy on the page still lists the old dates). That said, you can find a plethora of (mixed to negative) reviews for Chapter 2 out in the wild, given that it debuted at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in September 2024.
Based on the past two years, we guess that Warner Bros. Pictures will follow through with a Summer 2025 release for Chapter 2 before hitting PVOD and Max in late Summer. Netflix will once again acquire the license over the festive period. Another scenario is that Netflix buys the rights to Chapter 2 outright and debuts it.
Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures
How popular has Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1 been on Netflix?
Despite only being in one country, the movie did well enough to hit Netflix’s global most-watched movie chart for the week of December 30th to January 5th, 2025. It was the seventh most-watched movie of the week, with 12.4 million viewing hours, which, because of its long runtime, equates to 1.4 million views.
As of the time of publishing, the movie has spent 11 days in the Netflix US movie top 10s, too, and according to FlixPatrol, its addition to Netflix US has also seen the movie have a bit of a bump in popularity on Max.
Wrapping Up…
Before we go, we should note that if you plan to watch Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1 on Netflix, you’ve got plenty of time. Unlike most of the other WB films that dropped and will only stay on Netflix through March, Horizon is set to remain on Netflix US through July 16th, 2025.
In other Kevin Costner Netflix news, over 50 countries are now carrying Yellowstone, and even more will receive the series (and other regions will get season 4) in late January 2025.
Finally, if you’re looking for something else on Netflix starring Kevin Costner, you may not know that he appeared in a Netflix Original movie back in 2019. We’re referring to The Highwaymen, in which Costner appeared alongside Woody Harrelson. The duo played two policemen on the hunt for Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. It’s a slow and twisty crime drama, but it’s one of the very best Netflix has to offer. Sadly, it’s currently buried in Netflix’s ever-growing movie library.
Do you hope Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2 arrives on Netflix? Would you prefer that Chapter 2 skips theaters and go straight to Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
