Kevin Costner Took Out A Mortgage To Fund Sprawling New Western, “Horizon”

“I'm not a very good businessman so scratch your head if you will."

With his time on Yellowstone waning, Kevin Costner is going all in—and we mean all in—on his new passion project.

In a recent interview with Deadline, Costner revealed that he went as far as mortgaging one of his beachfront properties to help finance Horizon, the upcoming Western franchise he has been trying to get off the ground for more than 30 years.

"I've mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house. But I did it without a thought,” Costner told the outlet, noting that the move made his accountant distraught. ”But it's my life, and I believe in the idea and the story."

"At the end of the day, I'm a storyteller and I went ahead and put my own money into it,” the Oscar-winner continued. “I'm not a very good businessman so scratch your head if you will."

Collider describes Horizon as “a modern-day epic” set in the pre- and post-Civil War expansion of the American West. Starring Sam Worthington, Sienna Miller, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Hayden Church, it reportedly follows 170 characters across a narrative that spans 15 years. It’s a formidable undertaking, which is why Costner plans to release it in four separate movies. Afterwards, it will be edited for television with a 42-minutes-per-episode structure.

“We're deep into the production of #HorizonFilm, and, I have to tell you, I haven't felt this way about a movie since we were making Dances With Wolves,” Costner wrote on Instagram two weeks ago. “Can't wait to share it with all of you.”

Costner, who has been working on the project since 1988, told Deadline that after countless attempts to get it made, he ultimately decided to take matters into his own hands.

“I don’t know why, but I have not let go of this one,” he said. “I’ve pushed it into the middle of the table three times in my career and didn’t blink. This is my fourth.”

Horizon has become a bit of an obsession for the 68 year old, and there is speculation that his commitment to it ultimately led to his falling out with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. His wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner, also filed for divorce last month.

Costner admits that he has a lot on the line. But he’s been in this situation before, most notably with Dancing with Wolves, which won him seven Oscars.

“I’m not a gambler. People might look at this and say, “Oh, this is a gamble.” And I go, “Well, I guess it is, but do I want to go to Vegas and gamble?” No. I’m not that kind of gambler,” he explained to Deadline. “I gamble on the love of story. I’m gambling on people, in a sense. I can’t make them go to the theater, but if they get there, I’m going to try to take care of them the best I possibly can.”

The franchise does not yet have a release date.

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