American actor and director Kevin Costner has revealed that he has mortgaged his own house to raise the necessary funds to finance his ambitious western film, “Horizon: An American Saga,” presented Sunday, May 19, 2024, at the Cannes Film Festival.
Christine Baumgartner and Kevin Costner. PHOTO Getty Images
The film, which could have several sequels, was estimated to have a budget of $100 million, and Costner said he had to turn to his own funds after Hollywood studios refused to finance the project.
“No one in Hollywood was excited about making these movies. They were like, 'Let's do one and see how it goes. Nobody's even doing two, Kevin. Why do you want to do four? So at one moment, I simply said, 'OK, I'll do it myself.' come complain directly to me,” Costner said, according to AFP.
Costner spent 35 years working on the Horizon project, which tells the story of the Dutton family over four generations, beginning in the late 19th century. The film was shot on location in Montana and Utah.
The actor also stated that he is an “outsider” in Hollywood, as he prefers to tell his own stories rather than conform to industry trends.
“It's probably because I don't want people to manipulate the story that I want to tell and because I'm prepared to stand up to them and say no,” he explained.
Costner received the Medal of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters from France by Culture Minister Rachida Dati on Sunday in Cannes.
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival runs from May 14-25.
