Why Netflix’s ‘American Primeval’ Could Hurt Kevin Costner Even More After Disastrous ‘Horizon’ Flop and Yellowstone Fate

Peter Berg’s American Primeval shows that Western shows still have audience appeal and that Horizon failed to capitalize on it.

Kevin Costner seems to have lost his footing in the Old West.

With his Yellowstone exit and the disastrous outcome of the first part of his passion project Horizon, Costner has fallen far as an actor and filmmaker.

A couple of years earlier, he was the revered cowboy character John Dutton, whom everyone seemed to love.

Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin in a still from American Primeval | Credits: Netflix

Netflix brings its own Western drama to life in a six-part miniseries and it is surprisingly far better than Costner’s Horizon.

American Primeval, starring Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin, is set during the Utah War and focuses on the real-life Mountain Meadows Massacre.

The series has earned great reviews from viewers, causing more trouble for Costner.

American Primeval‘s success would rub salt on Kevin Costner’s wound

Taylor Kitsch in a still from American Primeval | Credits: Netflix

Kevin Costner‘s 3-hour-long passion project set in the Old West, Horizon, did not make any of his fans jump up and down in theaters in excitement.

The film ended up being a failure, grossing only $38.7 million after Costner invested $50 million of his own money in the first part.

He has put another $50 million into a second part, which had its release at the Venice Film Festival last year but has yet to hit theaters.

For Costner and his fans, it may feel as if the viewers aren’t interested in Western stories anymore.

However, the success of a recent Netflix Western proves them wrong.

American Primeval has earned amazing reviews for its engaging story and brilliantly choreographed action sequences.

On X, fans have started singing praises for Peter Berg’s Western attempt.

One fan shared that the film caught them entirely off-guard with its incredible cinematography and violent action sequences.

Another fan mentioned it as an award-worthy show put out by Netflix.

One fan noted how the series was realistic in its depiction, giving credit to writer Mark L.

Smith.

Another fan also drew comparisons between the show and Taylor Sheridan‘s 1883.

Some of the fan reactions read:

The praise for the series is eye-opening as it proves that the Western genre hasn’t lost its audience.

Costner’s Horizon failed to click with a large section of the audience mainly due to how he chose to roll out his film.

The film’s biggest criticism was that it failed to entertain the audience as a self-contained film.

The film involved a lot of context-setting and the three-hour runtime definitely didn’t help.

While Sheridan dropped the ball with Yellowstone‘s finale in the absence of Costner, his other shows 1883 and 1923 received positive word-of-mouth.

Sheridan’s period pieces managed to win over audiences in a way Horizon couldn’t.

Horizon would’ve worked better as a series like American Primeval

Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024) | Credits: Warner Bros.

Kevin Costner announced four parts to his Western directorial venture Horizon.

Costner had filmed and released the first part in June.

Before the first film hit theaters, he announced the filming of a second and third part of the series.

Unfortunately for him, the first film failed to impress the viewers.

The main reason was that it was just the first three hours of a 12-hour-long story.

Many fans believed that Costner made a huge mistake by bringing his story to the big screen rather than the small screen.

Despite the demanding nature of his story, Costner believed that he could earn a boatload of money after dividing the whole film into four installments.

As a self-contained film, the first part failed to have a story that stuck with the audience or a character arc that felt complete.

Despite the failure of the first film, Costner intends to complete the production of the third film.

Costner’s new production company, Territory Film Studios, is investing in these next two parts.

However, others suggest that the director move the last two parts to television as a series.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is now available for streaming on Max.