Kevin Costner’s Horizon at Cannes: a Premiere That Ended in Tears
Is it a good or a bad thing when a director is crying after his movie’s premiere?
A director, a producer, a writer, an investor, and a movie star walk into a bar, and the barman tells them: “The usual, Kevin?” That’s right: Kevin Costner was all these things for his latest movie Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, and he sunk a lot of passion, effort, and money into making it a reality. That’s why Horizon’s recent premiere at Cannes was perhaps Costner’s most important in his entire career.
Horizon’s Cannes Premiere Left Costner in Tears
Recently, Kevin Costner visited the Cannes Film Festival with Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 and finally revealed his magnum opus to the world. Over three hours long, the movie kept the audience in tense silence throughout the entire duration, and the viewers’ reaction when it ended was nothing short of spectacular.
As the credits rolled, Kevin Costner received a 10-minute-long standing ovation.
It must have been a massive weight off the Western star’s shoulders, truly. Seeing the audience genuinely love his biggest and riskiest project ever was a hellstorm of emotions for Costner who had real tears in his eyes as the ovation went on and on.
Costner’s Biggest Gamble Paid Off Handsomely
Kevin Costner put everything he had into Horizon, from years of planning and trying to make it happen to a ton of money — he mortgaged his $50M oceanside property to finance the movie from his own pocket with $20M out of Horizon: Chapter 1’s $90M production budget was Costner’s direct investment into his own movie.
Not to mention him losing his iconic lead part in Yellowstone.
“I’m sorry you had to clap so long for me to speak. It’s not mine anymore. It’s yours. I knew that the minute this was over. And that’s the way it should be. I think movies aren’t about their opening weekends, they are about their lives and about how many times you are willing to share it. And I hope you do share this movie with your sweethearts, with your children,” tearful director told the Cannes audience.
A 10-minute-long standing ovation… Wow. Kevin Costner risked it all to make Horizon happen, and it seems like his biggest gamble paid off. The brilliant 9/10 IMDb score must have helped alleviate the tension, too, but the way the Cannes welcomed him was definitely the moment Costner will remember forever.
Source: THR