LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kevin Costner recently opened up about the challenges he faced during the production of his new movie following his departure from the popular series 'Yellowstone'. The 68-year-old actor candidly discussed the difficulties he and his crew encountered in finding a suitable filming location in Utah for the second installment of his upcoming film series, 'Horizon: An American Saga'.
The four-part film series delves into a narrative spanning 15 years that revolves around the American Civil War and the westward expansion of the country. Costner is truly dedicated to his latest passion project. He is taking on multiple roles, including director, co-writer, and actor. "Every day, my dream was to film at this other place. We even built a suspension bridge," Costner told St George News.
'It broke my heart'
He continued, "And we were going to crane our wagons 50 feet in the air over the river, drop them down on that location. So I had it on my head, we built it, we had the cranes out there. And then the big snowpack came. And everybody said, 'The water’s gonna come up."' Costner explained, "It broke my heart because losing my location turns me into a baby a little bit because I have my mind set on what it’s going to look like and how people will enjoy it."
As a result, Costner had to make a "snap decision" to make adjustments to his original plan for the film. The team quickly found a second location, which he described as beautiful, except it did not quite capture the desired "desolate" atmosphere he had envisioned for the scene.
'Sometimes you just have to let some things go'
"It’s what the ancestors faced, 'If we go this way, we might not make it,'" Costner said. "So this is a really desolate place. So this is their last stop. I said, ‘Let’s run this river, the Santa Clara, all the way to the Virgin River.’ I was throwing prayers up on what’s going to happen. I secretly didn’t want to have another place. But I knew the first place wasn’t going to work. It’s a good lesson for everybody; sometimes you just have to let some things go."
Travis Duran, the land resources manager of Shivwits Reservation, noted that Costner and his crew displayed a high level of respect toward the land and its people during the filming process. "The best thing was working with Kevin’s crew. We’re all working together and they were more active in asking what they should be careful of," Duran said. "We’re in cultural sites in a couple of the areas, which I pointed out, and they respected everything."
Duran highlighted that the production team went to the extent of placing signs on the set to caution people about protecting specific plants or areas, preventing any accidental damage or disturbance. "Everybody worked together to keep people away from different things, which was pretty great," Duran said.
