Kevin Costner's Green Mountain Coffee Commercial Teases Post-Yellowstone Western
Throughout Kevin Costner's decades-long career, he's proven to have a particular affinity towards Westerns. His directorial debut — the 1990 epic "Dances With Wolves" — earned him Academy Awards for best picture and best director. More projects within that genre followed, including "Wyatt Earp," "Open Range," and the 2012 miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys." Since 2018, Costner has played ranching bigwig John Dutton in Taylor Sheridan's soapy drama, "Yellowstone."
The "Yellowstone" drama has persisted offscreen, especially since Season 5, Part 1 ended on January 1. Following rumored scheduling and creative conflicts between Sheridan and Costner, the actor isn't expected to return for Season 5, Part 2.
Costner's "Yellowstone" departure frees up his schedule to devote all of his attention to "Horizon: An American Saga," the Western passion project he's been developing since 1988. A new brand partnership between Costner and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters confirms that "Horizon" is well on its way.
In an ad posted on YouTube, a wary Costner is interrupted on set to discuss branding "collabs" for his new movie. The options are inspired, to say the least. There's a sneaker with a spur, a "Foam on the Range" oven scrub, a cowboy kimono, and some Gold Rush-inspired grills, to name a few.
"There's gotta be something I actually like, you know?" Costner asks before taking a big sip from his mug. "Like this coffee." In homage to the forthcoming film, his coffee variety with Green Mountain is called Horizon Blend. It's available for purchase in December.
Horizon is on the ... horizon
The Green Mountain Coffee partnership isn't the only indication that "Horizon: An American Saga" is coming soon. On October 5, Warner Bros. released a teaser trailer, showing Costner riding horseback through an empty Western landscape. The preview confirms the film's first two parts will debut in June and August of 2024, respectively. "Horizon" is set to be a four-part epic, with production on the third part having been delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
"Horizon" takes place in the American West 15 years before and after the Civil War, offering perspectives from White settlers and Indigenous peoples. "It's a really beautiful story; it's a hard story," Costner told Variety. "The women are really strong in 'Horizon.' It's just them trying to get by every day in a world that was impossibly tough ... They didn't ask to be in these territories that were unsettled and dangerous, and life wasn't easy. I've chosen to make sure that was really obvious, that that wasn't easy, and how vulnerable people were."
"Horizon" also boasts an impressive cast. In addition to Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, Jena Malone, Tatanka Means, Danny Huston, and Isabelle Fuhrman are set to appear in the multi-part saga.
Given the lengthy production and ambitious scope of "Horizon," Costner's passion project has a hefty price tag. The director even put out a mortgage on his home to help finance it. Perhaps the Green Mountain sales could enrich the "Horizon" fund as well.