As he scours for funding to complete his epic Westerns, Kevin Costner has been sued for failing to pay for costume rentals on Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2.
Western Costume on Monday filed in California state court a breach of contract lawsuit against Costner and his production banner Territory Pictures. It seeks roughly $440,000 for unpaid costume fees, among other things that include alleged damage to some of the outfits.
The lawsuit was filed as Costner, facing mounting legal and financial woes, marches forward with plans to realize his vision of finishing the Horizon series. Securing the necessary financing has been an uphill battle. Last year, he met with top Saudi officials and pitched them on helping to finance the third and fourth installments, though the talks didn’t culminate in a deal, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 was supposed to be released last year but is being held after the first made just $38.7 million on a $100 million budget. It currently has no release date.
Western Costume points to an invoice in 2024 for roughly $134,000 in costume rentals. The production “did not pay the agreed upon rate for the costumes and failed to return the costumes undamaged,” states the complaint. Earlier this year, the production vehicle for Horizon settled another lawsuit accusing it of failing to pay for rentals across Chapter 1 and its sequel.
The complaint doesn’t mention Chapter 3, which wasn’t fully financed as of last year and remains in limbo. In Utah, construction is underway on a $100 million film studio that Costner and Territory Pictures, which produces the Westerns, is spearheading with a local developer.
In March, a hearing is scheduled in an arbitration pitting Costner’s company against Horizon’s bondholder, City National Bank, and its distributor, New Line Cinema, over breaches to a co-financing agreement. After City National Bank initiated legal proceedings against both companies, New Line was forced to respond by filing a crossclaim seeking repayment from Horizon Series as part of its defense. Under the deal, New Line and Horizon Series were each required to repay a portion of the financing. By New Line’s thinking, it covered the portion its partner didn’t pay, but City National Bank took the position that it’s owed more.
And in Los Angeles Superior Court, Costner faces a lawsuit from a stunt performer from Chapter 2, who sued the production for sexual discrimination, harassment and retaliation, among other things, over an unscripted rape scene that was filmed without the presence of a contractually mandated intimacy coordinator.
A representative for Horizon Series didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
