Horizon: An American Saga
Academy Award-winning visionary filmmaker Kevin Costner directs New Line Cinema’s vast Horizon: An American Saga Chapters One and Two, a multi-faceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. A story of America too big for one film, this true cinematic event also stars Costner, who co-writes with Jon Baird (The Explorers Guild) and produces through his Territory Pictures. In the great tradition of Warner Bros. Pictures’ iconic Westerns, Horizon: An American Saga explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won—and lost—through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.
Available everywhere now, the album features an original score written by Debney for the first chapter of Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Costner’s cinematic event chronicling the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. Working in close collaboration with Costner, Debney has crafted a grandiose, nostalgia-inducing soundscape that pays homage to classic Western soundtracks while capturing the onscreen action and emotionality of the original story.
Of the project, composer John Debby says, “Some of my fondest memories growing up were weekend outings with my dad, Lou, where we’d head to the vast Griffith Park trails in the hills of Los Angeles and ride horses while wearing our cowboy hats and boots. And whether it was watching TV shows like Gunsmoke, or the latest Western film playing in theaters, a part of me has always had dreams of being a cowboy. Suffice to say, I was so incredibly honored to get the call to join the legendary Kevin Costner on his immense storytelling journey into the triumph and tragedy of the birth of the American West.
“He’s been such an inspiring leader throughout and his vision for the music for these films has never wavered, as he told me from our first meeting to ‘go big’ with ‘memorable themes that take us back to the Westerns of the Golden Age.’ I strove to the best of my abilities to give him just that, and along with it, a large part of my heart and soul to his epic saga,” he continues of working with the director, producer, co-writer and star, adding, “Kevin’s passion, grace, and deep love of music kept me inspired everyday, pushing me forward and allowing me to live out my cowboy dreams in the only way I know how. I now consider him a brother in arms, giving me this gift of a canvas to paint on, or a metaphorical ‘horse’ to ride alongside him into the Old West and explore all of the people, places and events that make up the incredibly rich tapestry of this time period in American history.”