Horizon An American Saga on Prime Video: Where to Watch Chapter 1, and the Honest Status of Chapters 2, 3, and 4

Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 1, Kevin Costner's planned four part western, arrived on Prime Video on May 23, 2026. That is the simple, useful news for any viewer who has been waiting to catch up with the film at home without paying a rental fee. The harder, more interesting news is what is happening with the rest of the planned saga.

This is the honest guide. Where to watch Chapter 1, what is actually going on with Chapter 2, and what Costner is doing to try to get Chapters 3 and 4 finished.

Where to watch Horizon Chapter 1

From May 23, 2026, Chapter 1 is included with a standard Prime Video subscription. The film moved to Prime Video from HBO Max, where it had been streaming since late 2024. For Prime members, the film is now part of the included catalogue rather than a separate rental.

The runtime is just over three hours. If you have been put off by the length, the film actually plays better at home than it did in theatres, where the slow build felt punishing. With pauses available and your own sound mix, the deliberate pace is more enjoyable.

What Chapter 1 actually is

The film is the first installment of a planned four chapter, fifteen hour epic about American westward expansion in the years before and after the Civil War. Costner directs and stars as Hayes Ellison, one of several protagonists in an ensemble that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Luke Wilson, and Jeff Fahey. Chapter 1 sets up multiple narrative threads that are intended to converge across the four films.

Read as a standalone film, Chapter 1 is incomplete by design. It introduces characters and situations that the second chapter is supposed to develop. Read as the first part of a four part saga, it is the foundation for what comes next.

The problem is that what comes next has not arrived, and it may not arrive at all in the form Costner planned.

Chapter 2: indefinitely shelved

Here is where the project's status gets uncomfortable. Horizon Chapter 2 is complete. The film exists. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2024, and screened at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2025. It has been ready for release for almost two years.

Despite that, Warner Bros has not released Chapter 2. A theatrical release for the second film is, according to studio sources cited in trade reporting, "not in the plans" for 2026. It has not been added to the HBO Max or Prime Video catalogues. Most of the audience that watched Chapter 1 has no way to see Chapter 2.

The reason is straightforward. Chapter 1 underperformed badly at the box office, taking in roughly $38 million worldwide on a reported budget of around $100 million. Warner Bros decided the financial risk of marketing and distributing Chapter 2 was not justified by Chapter 1's commercial result. Festival screenings happened. Wide release did not.

That is unusual. A completed film by a major filmmaker, with a star cast, sitting on the shelf indefinitely is not the way the industry normally operates. It is also not a good look for anyone involved. The honest assessment is that Chapter 2's release situation is dependent on a distribution partner stepping in to take the film from Warner Bros, and as of late May 2026 no such partner has been confirmed.

Chapters 3 and 4: Costner is still trying

Kevin Costner has been clear in public comments that he intends to finish the saga. The challenge is funding. By his own account, he has shot roughly eight days of Chapter 3, with the remainder of production paused while he secures the budget.

Costner has been actively pitching Chapters 3 and 4 to potential financiers, including reported trips to Saudi Arabia to meet with sovereign wealth fund representatives. Whether that path produces a result is unknown. The honest read is that Costner's commitment to finishing the saga is real, but the financing landscape for an unfinished, mid budget western series from a director whose first chapter underperformed is challenging. The films may eventually be completed. They may also remain unfinished.

How to think about Chapter 1 if Chapter 2 never comes

This is the question that watching Chapter 1 in 2026 raises. If the rest of the saga never arrives, is Chapter 1 worth your three hours?

The honest answer is that it depends on what you go in expecting. As a self contained film, Chapter 1 ends without resolution and without a satisfying arc. As a piece of craft, with strong cinematography from J. Michael Muro, a good ensemble, and Costner's clear love for the genre, there is a lot to enjoy. The film is more rewarding for viewers who can hold the unresolved threads in mind without needing a payoff.

If you need a complete story, this is probably not the film for you. If you can tolerate ambiguity and enjoy the textures of a slow western, it is worth the time, even with Chapter 2 in indefinite limbo.

The Costner factor

The Horizon project is the most ambitious thing Kevin Costner has ever attempted, and that ambition is part of why it has run into trouble. Costner committed his own money to the production, has been the project's most public advocate, and has staked a meaningful part of his late career identity on the saga. The financial and personal stakes are real.

That context is worth keeping in mind when reading coverage of the project. The temptation in the trade press has been to frame Horizon as a vanity project that failed. The more honest frame is that Costner attempted something genuinely difficult, the market did not catch up to it, and the question of whether the saga gets finished is now a story about distribution economics rather than artistic intent.

Other Kevin Costner films worth your time

If Horizon has you in a Costner mood, the obvious starting points are Dances with Wolves, his 1990 directorial debut and the film Horizon is most clearly in conversation with, and Open Range from 2003, his more contained western that is one of his most underrated directorial efforts. To check what is on your services tonight, use Discover.

Frequently asked questions about Horizon on Prime Video

Where can I watch Horizon Chapter 1?

Prime Video, included with a standard subscription, from May 23, 2026.

Is Horizon Chapter 2 on streaming?

No. Chapter 2 is complete and has screened at film festivals, but it has not received a theatrical or streaming release. There is no announced plan for a 2026 release.

Will Horizon Chapter 3 ever be made?

Kevin Costner has reportedly shot about eight days of Chapter 3 and is pursuing funding to complete it. Whether the remaining production happens depends on whether he secures a financing partner. As of late May 2026, no funding deal has been announced.

How long is Horizon Chapter 1?

Just over three hours.

Did Horizon Chapter 1 do well at the box office?

No. The film grossed roughly $38 million worldwide on a reported budget of around $100 million, which is the primary reason Warner Bros has held back Chapter 2.

For more on the films and series worth your time, browse our streaming guides, or use The Movies Finder to find your next watch.