If there’s one thing Kevin Costner hasn’t lacked in his career, it’s ambition. Hitting his stride in the director’s chair the first time out with “Dances With Wolves” (which won 7 Oscars), his next two efforts were high concept failures: “Waterworld” (where his work was uncredited on the troubled production) and “The Postman” (which is all his). The failure of the latter meant a six year-wait until his next, the much more modest western “Open Range.” And the genre is a favorite of Costner’s either as an actor and director and it looks like he wants to get back in the saddle, with a rather huge plan.
Chatting with Collider, Costner revealed he’s kicking around an idea for Western quadrilogy, with three of the movies coming out in the same year on major holidays, with a fourth to follow afterward. Take that Marvel! Here’s what Costner had to say:
“I’ve got this Western that I think I could make. I actually have this idea to make them all at once and release one on Memorial Day, one on Thanksgiving, and then one on the Fourth of July, all within a 12 month span, because it’s all the same story but it truly is a journey, with a fourth movie coming right after. Will I be able to do that? I don’t know. But that’s what I think about, that’s what I try to do. And people go, ‘Oh that’s really interesting, Kevin. We don’t think we can do that.’ And I’m thinking ‘Man, that’s a really good idea.’ I thought that was a true ongoing series, or sequel if you will, that actually was an honest one. A second one wasn’t invented because the first one made a little money.”
In today’s studio environment, we can certainly see how this would be a hard sell, but here’s an idea for Costner: tweak the concept and go to the cable networks and turn this into a TV series. Clearly with a four movie arc, there’s a lot of story here that could be parcelled out in a weekly format. But hey, it’s nice to see someone in Hollywood dreaming big about something that isn’t a branded property. But the chances of this really happening seems slim at best.
Kevin is about THE LAST COWBOY STAR we have left. GREAT ACTOR !!! I am a western watcher and I can only hope he gets back in the saddle SOON !!!
Great idea Kevin,I love your werterns and I love you as a cowboy!As you said in France and in french at the Cesar's ceremony :" you are american,you make cowboys'movies!" LOVE
Hope you make the westerns. That will be great. Classic good old American fare.
clint east wood did 2 movies at 1 time think u could 2
Hooray Kevin !!! We are ready for more Cowboy !!! Cowboys like Nate Champion…
Take this idea straight to HBO and make it a series. It's the only place for high-concept, hard-hitting, grown-up dramas.
Hey, I love this idea! But only if he shows the progression in time over the four films from different characters' points of view, you know, so you see what each character looks like from the vantage point of the others…and at least ONE of them must be woman. It's gotta be the gold rush too, with so many similarities to the outsized greed and land-grabbing that energy companies are engaged in today. Just my two cents!
Maybe he could direct The Dark Tower series for HBO or Showtime….eh who am I kidding, that project is doomed to fail.
Sounds like an idea that should be shopped to cable rather than movie studios. HBO. AMC. FX. I'd rather set up show with any of them.
a TETRALOGY.
So… He's making the Western-Avengers? I'll be Hawkeye, jokes on you guys I called him first.
Unless Jane Got A Gun, Bone Tomahawk and The Brigands of Rattleborge (if that even moves into production) do big business I can't see anyone wanting this kind of scope when it comes to Westerns. Sad, really as it's my favourite genre.
clint east wood did 2 movies at 1 time think u could 2