Facing mounting financial and legal woes, Kevin Costner‘s company under which Horizon was produced has been sued for failing to pay for costume rentals.
United Costume Corporation on Wednesday filed in Los Angeles Superior Court a breach of contract lawsuit against Horizon Series, Costner’s loan-out firm. It seeks roughly $350,000 for unpaid costume fees across Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 and its sequel.
The filing of the lawsuit bolsters the appearance of budget shortfalls for the sprawling productions, with New Line Cinema recently filing an arbitration claim for alleged breaches to a co-financing agreement. After City National Bank initiated legal proceedings against both companies, New Line responded by filing a crossclaim seeking repayment from Horizon Series as part of its defense. Under the deal, New Line and Horizon Series were each required to repay a portion of the financing. By New Line’s thinking, it covered the portion its partner didn’t pay, but City National Bank took the position that it’s owed more.
And on Tuesday, a stunt performer for Chapter 2 sued the production for sexual discrimination, harassment and retaliation, among other things, over an unscripted rape scene that was filmed without the presence of a contractually mandated intimacy coordinator in which she allegedly wasn’t properly notified.
Costner designed Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1, which he directed, co-wrote, starred in and partly financed, as the first of four installments. An unusual rollout plan to release the sequel just seven weeks after the first was scrapped after the movie, made for roughly $100 million, grossed $38 million worldwide. Chapter 2 is being held to allow the audience for the franchise to grow.
United Costume’s lawsuit points to an invoice in 2022 for roughly $58,000 in costume rentals for Chapter 1. A year later, the production struck another deal, this time for an estimated $285,000, with the company to provide costumes for the sequel, according to the complaint. Both remain unpaid and are accruing interest.
The lawsuit doesn’t mention Chapter 3, which wasn’t fully financed as of last year and remains in limbo.
Costner is believed to be looking for financiers to finish shooting the films. Under his deal with a group of investors, he deferred his fees, mortgaged his Santa Barbara waterfront property and put at least $38 million of his own money toward the venture, he told THR last May.
A representative for Horizon Series declined to comment.
