Kevin Costner, the writer, director, producer, and star of "Horizon: An American Saga," has been a well-known supporter of Westerns. Now, he explains why the genre haunts him. The "Yellowstone" star explained in the foreword of "The Great Horizon: Photographing Kevin Costner's 'American Saga,'" that Westerns are based on "no greater narrative than the arduous journey of men and women from across America in pursuit of a dream." Costner's "Horizon:

Despite being a dark horse for the awards season, "An American Saga" is only one of four planned films that examine how the American West changed during the Civil War. The release date for "Part Two," which made its debut at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, has not yet been announced.

Photographer Cale Glendening documented the first installment's filming. The official making-of book, "The Great Horizon" (Weldon Owen, published November 26), includes close-up cast portraits and behind-the-scenes photos. More than 250 never-before-seen photos, cast and crew reactions, articles, and script excerpts are included in the book.

In his foreword, Costner describes "Horizon: An American Saga" as the "most challenging journey" he has ever worked on. "The most difficult journey I've ever taken was the creation of Horizon: An American Saga," Costner wrote. "I'm a storyteller at heart, and the arduous journey of men and women across America in pursuit of a goal is perhaps the greatest narrative that has ever been told.

 Their ideal was fiercely pursued and only a select few succeeded, and even then, it took many people's blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen. The nightmares of the people who had inhabited and prospered in the West for ages came as a result of following their fantasies westward. This was a tale I had to share.

"I wanted to go beyond the myth and tell the story of the common people creating a new chapter in the history of America in the face of war, over great distances, in a nation at war with itself," Costner added. Traders and trackers, surveyors and settlers, missionaries and soldiers, lawmen and criminals – everyone was enthralled with the hazy promise of a brighter future.

 I wanted to depict their journey from the perspectives of friends, family, and enemies who are all trying to alter their fates. Everybody, from Chinese traders to Pima cavalry scouts, from European colonists to White Mountain Apache, penned their tale and entered uncharted territory.

 The excerpt states, “They believed in the journey and were willing to risk everything. The women especially faced intense hardship, but showed tremendous resilience in trying to keep their families clean, fed, and healthy. It is important to me that their stories are firmly at the center of all of the chapters of ‘Horizon: An American Saga.’ We can only measure our lives against the generations that came before and wonder whether we would have been as resourceful, as tenacious, as brave.”

Costner also gave some thought to the country's current situation. "Everyone in America is searching for something, whether it be opportunity, vision, or belief," Costner wrote. "It has been a long and difficult journey of opportunity, vision, and belief to create the first two episodes of the 'Horizon' film cycle. I hope that Cale Glendening's photographs from the sets of "Horizon:

 See that in the faces of the outstanding performers in "An American Saga," and sense the timeless allure of the American West in Cale's photographs of Utah's breathtaking canyons. And when the film starts and you sit down in the dark, I hope you will also feel the allure of the American West dream and lose yourself in the gripping tales of the people who sought it and those who were affected by it.

Costner has stated that he finds "comfort" in the Western genre itself in an interview with IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit program. "I hope that aspect of the film appeals to viewers. I'm not sure whether they do anymore, but I don't care. He said, "I love my gunfights, but I'm not in a rush to get to them. I do like it, so when I make them, it's still going to be there." I think the language informs [the action], and I'm in love with it. I'm prepared to take my time when stating my desired lines in opposition to these large areas.