Summary
Horizon: An American Sagastar Michael Rooker slams audiences for not watching the Western film. Rooker is part of the sprawlingHorizoncast, which also includes Abbey Lee, Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Tim Guinee, Giovanni Ribisi, and Danny Huston.Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1was recently released in theaters to mixed reviews, only two months ahead of the August release ofChapter 2.
Speaking withTMZ, Rooker bashes audiences for passing onHorizon: An American Saga. According to the actor,people are too “used to 90-minute movies,“and he encouraged them to “Get over that sh*t.” He encouraged them to “watch a movie that actually has a story.” Check out the full quote from Rooker below:
We ain’t used to that sht. We’re used to 90-minute movies, everything’s 90 minutes. Oh come on. Give me a break. Get over that sht. You know, let’s watch a movie that actually tells a story, where you learn about the people and you grow to like them or hate them, and it’s not all fast cut-cut-cut. Of course they are [TikTok-ified]! They gotta get over that crap, come on. Yeah, they’ve gotta learn what it’s like to watch real cinema. Go see the movie … There’s three more to go, be prepared.
Is Michael Rooker Right About Why People Aren’t Watching Horizon?
Plenty Of Long Movies Have Found Success Recently
Rooker’s comments come afterHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1was released in theaters on June 28. Its opening weekend was a massive misfire, asit only earned $11 million domestically. This pales in comparison toHorizon’s budget, which was reported at around $100 million, and makes the financial prospects forHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2look even weaker. Its box office take put the film at no. 3 on the charts, behindInside Out 2and fellow new releaseA Quiet Place: Day One.
Horizonis an epic film that is in the more traditional American genre style of the Western, which, though re-popularized throughTV shows likeYellowstoneandLawmen: Bass Reeves, is not the most accessible form to widespread audiences. That said,Rooker’s theory aboutHorizon’s runtime falls apartwhen looking at some of the successful movies from the past couple of years. Last year, the third-highest grossing movie worldwide wasOppenheimer, which was three hours long. The year before that, the year’s top earner wasAvatar:The Way of Water, which clocked in at 3 hours and 12 minutes.
Based on these trends, it seems likeHorizon’s failure cannot be simply chalked up to its exorbitant runtime. The film also faced significant box office competition this past weekend, withfranchise filmsInside Out 2andA Quiet Place: Day Oneboth in theaters. Unfortunately forHorizon, the franchise competition will only heat up more asDespicable Me 4is added to the mix in early July. Box office competition may be to blame forHorizon, and it will likely continue to struggle unless strong word of mouth can help push it through.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Cast
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is set in 1859, following families as they settle in territories from Wyoming to Kansas. The narrative centers around a cowboy on the run with a prostitute and a young boy after a deadly confrontation, exploring the challenges of life in the Old West.
