Kevin Costner doubles down on Westerns with new Civil War epic after Horizon flop and Yellowstone drama

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Kevin Costner is returning to the Western genre once again.

Even though his Western film, Horizon, didn’t do well in theaters and he left the popular show Yellowstone, the 70-year-old actor is continuing to focus on this type of storytelling. He’s now producing a new film called The Gray House, a historical epic about spies during the Civil War.

The Academy Award-winning actor is producing a new eight-episode series starring Morgan Freeman, which will be available starting February 26th.

Inspired by real events, the show follows a group of overlooked women in the Confederate South who secretly create a network to gather intelligence.

Directed by Roland Joffe, it stars Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head, Amethyst Davis and Ben Vereen. 

The group includes a wealthy woman from Virginia, her mother, a formerly enslaved woman who fought alongside them, and the city’s most famous prostitute.

The first trailer for the show was shared by Deadline on Wednesday. 

The video begins with a woman posing a thought-provoking question: if we ignore wrongdoing, are we then accountable for its escalation?

Other parts of the trailer show political intrigue, masked plotters, and epic Civil War battles.

The show was written by Leslie Greif, Darrell Fetty and John Sayles.

Costner, Freeman and Greif executive produce alongside Lori McCreary, Rod Lake and Howard Kaplan.

All eight episodes of The Gray House will premiere simultaneously on Prime Video. 

Kevin Costner’s new project arrives after the disappointing box office performance of his 2024 film, Horizon: An American Saga, which was initially intended to be a four-part series.

The epic chronicles the expansion of the American West during the mid-19th century. 

The movie’s first installment didn’t do well in theaters, so the release of the second film—originally planned for August 2024—was canceled, and it hasn’t been released in theaters or on streaming platforms yet.

Despite the challenges, Kevin Costner is still trying to find the money to finish making the third chapter, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Kevin Costner recently expressed his frustration with the current film financing landscape, telling The Hollywood Reporter that he needs significant investment from wealthy individuals to fund his next projects. He jokingly lamented the lack of support from billionaires who constantly advertise their wealth, stating he’s already independently financed two films and is now seeking their backing. He essentially asked, ‘Where are the wealthy investors when you need them?’

The film faced complications due to a lawsuit filed in May 2023 by stuntwoman Devyn LaBella. She alleged that while doubling for actress Ella Hunt in ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2’, director Kevin Costner directed a violent and unscripted scene that she experienced as a sexual assault.

Marty Singer, Kevin Costner’s lawyer, dismissed the accusations, calling them untrue and claiming they were made for financial gain.

Okay, so I heard that Kevin Costner was seriously upset about that article in The Hollywood Reporter. Like, absolutely furious! Apparently, they really dug into his whole career, and it just infuriated him. I mean, can you blame him? It’s his life’s work, and it sounds like they didn’t exactly treat it with respect. I was so worried for him when I heard!

Kevin Costner is well-known for his role as John Dutton, a rancher, in the modern Western drama series Yellowstone, created by Taylor Sheridan.

The report stated that Costner physically moved towards Wes Bentley in a sudden and aggressive manner during an argument while filming Yellowstone.

Yellowstone concluded in 2024 following disagreements between Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan. These issues stemmed from both scheduling difficulties and differing visions for the show’s direction.

The Hollywood Reporter said Costner reportedly became angry when Bentley, 47, wouldn’t change Taylor Sheridan’s script and instead redo the scene according to Costner’s direction.

According to one source, Bentley informed Costner that he believed he had committed to a project by Taylor Sheridan, not one of Kevin Costner’s own productions.

According to someone who witnessed the incident, Kevin reacted angrily and rushed towards the other person. While no punches were thrown, the two men got very close, pushing and shoving each other until others intervened to pull them apart.

This incident apparently upset Kelly Reilly, the actress who plays Beth Dutton, so much that she cried, and filming of the popular Paramount series had to be temporarily stopped.

Honestly, from what I understand, this wasn’t a sudden explosion, but the final straw. Things had been tense for a while – a lot of big personalities clashing, creative differences turning into real friction, and honestly, some hurt feelings. It was a situation just waiting to unravel, and this incident seems to have been the thing that finally pushed it over the edge.

Kevin Costner started his acting career in 1981 with a role in the film Sizzle Beach, U.S.A., which was also released as Malibu Hot Summer.

He went on to make appearances in other films such as Fandango (1985) and The Untouchables (1987).

In 1990, Kevin Costner starred in and directed the acclaimed Western film Dances With Wolves. The movie was a major success, earning him both the Best Picture and Best Director awards at the following year’s Academy Awards.

The actor is also well-known for his roles in films like Field of Dreams (1989), The Bodyguard (1992), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Wyatt Earp (1994), Open Range (2003), and Man of Steel (2013).

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2026-01-15 05:07