Kevin Costner Mortgaged His Home to Fund $100M Horizon Movie
The actor made a huge sacrifice, which might have cost him his family.
Paramount Network's most successful project of recent years, Yellowstone has become a subject of controversy, mostly related to the conflict between the franchise's creator, Taylor Sheridan, and Kevin Costner, the star of the main series. According to reports, the actor wanted to focus on his own project, Horizon, and demanded to reduce his time on the Yellowstone set, effectively sabotaging the production of the series' final episodes.
Although the actor's agents denied the rumors and the Paramount representatives also claim there is no conflict between him and the production team, Costner's desire to leave Yellowstone for his other movie is indirectly confirmed by his decision to mortgage his own estate. Here's what we know about it.
Last year, it was announced that Kevin Costner began working on Horizon, a Western movie in which he serves as writer, producer, director, and lead actor. In his own words, the idea for the project has been floating around for about 35 years.
'I commissioned this story in 1988. Single movie, two-hander. A conventional Western with a beginning, middle, and end,' Costner said. He and co-writer Jon Baird reworked the script in the early 2010s, turning it into a four-part project.
Costner is obviously very passionate about his new movie. To prove his incredible level of commitment, the actor revealed that he had mortgaged 10 acres of land on the Carpinteria coast, estimated to be worth an insane $145 million, to support the Horizon project.
'I've mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house. But I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a f---ing conniption fit,' the star shared, 'But it's my life, and I believe in the idea and the story.'
Apparently, Costner's decision to mortgage the land was a headache not only for his accountant, but also for his family. It seems that the actor's wife, Christine Baumgartner, was not ready for him to invest such a huge amount of money in an idea that may still fail, despite her husband's dedication. The couple filed for divorce in May, and it's rumored that Costner's sacrifice was the reason for their breakup.
The first part of Horizon is currently in post-production and is expected to be released in the fall of this year. Meanwhile, Yellowstone has yet to reach its definitive finale. Production for Season 5 Part 2 is set to begin in August, and the first episode is scheduled for release on November 13, 2023.
Source: Deadline.