Kevin Costner’s passion project Horizon: An American Saga hits home for him in a number of ways, not least of which is the fact that his son, Hayes Costner, has a minor role in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. The Academy Award winner famously invested millions of his own dollars to make the epic Western movie series a reality, and Horizon‘s carefully selected cast of characters boasts dozens of recognizable faces. Costner’s youngest son, Hayes, on the other hand, acted for the first time on the set of Horizon.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is now streaming, and is the first of what was originally intended to be four movies that chronicle the life and times of settlers and Indigenous people in the American West in the time before, during, and after the Civil War. The struggle for wealth, health, and prosperity created decades of conflict between all of those involved, and inevitably resulted in death and suffering. Hayes Costner’s brief appearance in Horizon: Chapter 1 was at the center of the most explosive and violent scene in the entire movie.

Hayes Costner Plays Nathaniel Kittredge In Horizon

Nathaniel Is The Son Of Sienna Miller’s Character

Hayes Costner makes his acting debut as Nathaniel Kittredge, the son of homesteaders and Horizon residents Frances (Sienna Miller) and James Kittredge. Nathaniel, or “Nat” as he’s referred to, is roughly 15 years old, and while his screen time is limited, he is shown to be brave in facing down an older boy teasing him and his friends. He does still have the tendencies of the average 15-year-old boy, however, as he refuses to dance with his mother and fights with his sister.

Hayes Costner’s Character Dies Offscreen In Horizon

He Is Killed While Defending His Home And Family

Nathaniel’s courage is once again on display when his family’s home, like the rest of Horizon, is attacked by raiding Apache warriors. The boy springs into action to help his father shore up the house and dutifully fights back despite gunfire bursting through the walls and doors. Even when his father seems to lose hope and despair, Nathaniel maintains his composure and continues to defend his home and family.

Nathaniel Kittredge’s bravery, unfortunately, ended up being his downfall. He was sent by his father to take his mother and sister down into the escape tunnels below their home, but when the time came to get in himself, he opted instead to secure them inside and continue to fight alongside his father. In a meta moment that’s quite appropriate for a character played by the son of Kevin Costner, Nathaniel’s last words to his mother are “It’s alright…I’m gonna be with Dad.” Nathaniel and James are killed off-screen, either by the Apache or the fire that burns down their home.

What Kevin Costner Said About Casting His Son In Horizon

Costner Has Never Pushed Any Of His Children Into Acting

In an interview with Today, Costner went into detail about his experience working with his son on a movie set. While he obviously enjoyed the experience, Costner noted that he never pushed his son into acting. The veteran director implied that it’s no coincidence that Nathaniel’s character is brave and loyal; speaking coyly about the character, he said, “…it’s what you want in a son.“

He also briefly addressed the potential nepotism in the casting, which is something that has certainly been a hot-button issue in American cinema of late. Costner admitted that he knew other young actors may have wanted the part, but he cast his son knowing how minor the ole would end up being.

I realize there (are) so many young actors out there that would just kill to be in this movie. I don’t want to take those parts away from them just because I can place my own children in… But since it was a smaller part, I selfishly wanted him with me. For the two weeks that he was with me, we would drive to the set every day and he would whisper. He didn’t have a lot of experience, but he’s really beautiful in the movie.

Costner did not shy away from his motives behind the casting either, which is fair given how heavily he’s invested his own effort and resources into it.

Kevin Costner’s Horizon Character Is Named After His Son

Costner Stars As Hayes Ellison In Addition To Writing And Directing

Costner’s own character in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is actually named after the same son he cast in the movie. Costner plays a horse trader named Hayes Ellison, who steps into the classic Western gunslinger role for Chapter 1 despite not actually being any kind of law enforcement agent or a criminal. One of the biggest complaints about Horizon: Chapter 1 was actually that Costner’s Hayes Ellison was not in the film enough.

Kevin Costner may struggle to finance the final chapters of Horizon: An American Saga after Horizon Chapter 1 failed at the box office, but he didn’t miss the opportunity to include his son in the franchise. By not only casting him in a minor role but naming one of the chief characters after him, Costner ensured that his son Hayes would have a signature in what was intended to be the storied actor/director’s magnum opus.

Will Hayes Costner Return & What’s Known About The Next Horizon Chapters

Kevin Costner Is Still Moving Ahead With His Saga

With Nathaniel Kitteridge’s death in Horizon: Part 1, there’s still the possibility of Hayes Costner returning to the story in a flashback. Nathaniel’s surviving family members, Frances and Elizabeth Kittredge, are both still key members of the story with the first installment even showing that Frances was looking to move on with her life by embarking on a romance with First Lt. Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington). Perhaps memories of the family life she had before will creep back into her memory.

Despite the opportunity, Nathaniel doesn’t return in Horizon: Part 2, and Hayes Costern is not part of the cast. With Kevin Costner originally announcing four planned movies in the Horizon saga, there is still a chance to see Nathaniel return in some form. Of course, with the first installment underperforming at the box office, it remains in question if the four-movie plan will be completed. The third movie is in production and had originally aimed to complete filming in Spring 2025. In September 2024, Costner acknowledged the long road ahead for the other movies but seemed determined (via Deadline):

“I don’t know how I’m gonna make 3 right now, but I’m gonna make it.”

Source: Today

Horizon: An American Saga

“Horizon: An American Saga” is a series of epic Western films directed, produced, and co-written by Kevin Costner. The saga spans pre- and post-Civil War America, detailing the exploration and settlement of the American West over 15 years, and follows multiple storylines of fictional characters as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of this tumultuous period.

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