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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Kevin Costner leads Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 as Hayes Ellison, a solitary survivor drawn into the violence surrounding a new frontier settlement. The film’s unusually large ensemble also includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Abbey Lee, Jamie Campbell Bower, Will Patton, Luke Wilson, Danny Huston, and Michael Rooker.
Directed, produced, co-written, and headlined by Costner, this 2024 Western follows several interconnected groups rather than a single traditional hero: settlers establishing Horizon, soldiers responding to conflict, a wagon train moving west, outlaws pursuing a woman in Watts Parish, and White Mountain Apache characters confronting the consequences of settler expansion.
Who plays Hayes Ellison?
Kevin Costner plays Hayes Ellison, a withdrawn loner whose survival skills become important after he is pulled into the dangerous events unfolding around Horizon. Hayes is one of the film’s main connecting figures, particularly in the Watts Parish storyline, where he goes on the run with Marigold after she witnesses a murder.
Costner’s involvement extends well beyond the leading role. He directed and produced the film, co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Baird, and shares the story credit with Baird and Mark Kasdan. Chapter 1 is an original fictional Western, not an adaptation of a book or a direct retelling of a specific historical event.
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#1 Best Overall
Principal cast of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
| Actor | Character | Who the character is |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Costner | Hayes Ellison | A solitary, capable survivor who becomes entangled in frontier violence. |
| Sienna Miller | Frances Kittredge | A strong, maternal pioneer woman brought to Horizon by her husband in search of a better life. |
| Sam Worthington | First Lieutenant Trent Gephardt | An idealistic soldier stationed at Fort or Camp Gallant who questions the conflict around him and his role in it. |
| Jena Malone | Ellen Harvey | A woman living in Watts Parish who has escaped a difficult past and is pursued by the Sykes family. |
| Owen Crow Shoe | Pionsenay | A White Mountain Apache warrior whose experience of settler encroachment leads him toward resistance. |
| Tatanka Means | Taklishim | An Apache warrior and family man caught between his father’s caution and his brother Pionsenay’s willingness to resist. |
| Abbey Lee | Marigold | A survivor in Watts Parish who witnesses a murder and flees with Hayes Ellison. |
| Jamie Campbell Bower | Caleb Sykes | The older son of a dangerous outlaw family, portrayed as brutal, unhinged, vicious, and conceited. |
| Will Patton | Owen Kittredge | A widower and Civil War veteran traveling west with his daughters. |
| Luke Wilson | Matthew Van Weyden | A pioneer who becomes the de facto leader of the wagon train. |
| Danny Huston | Colonel Albert Houghton | A military commander who understands both the settlers’ determination and the brutal realities of westward expansion. |
| Michael Rooker | Sergeant Major Thomas Riordan | A military lifer assigned to Camp Gallant who helps lead troops toward Horizon after the settlement attack. |
Sienna Miller as Frances Kittredge
Frances Kittredge is among the settlers attempting to establish a community at Horizon. She represents the domestic and practical pressures of migration: building a life, protecting family, and trying to create stability in a place where the settlement itself is part of a much larger conflict.
Sam Worthington as First Lieutenant Trent Gephardt
Worthington plays First Lieutenant Trent Gephardt, an idealistic officer stationed at Fort or Camp Gallant. His storyline examines the military presence in the region and the difficult gap between official duty, personal conscience, and the realities of expansion.
Jena Malone as Ellen Harvey
Malone’s character lives in Watts Parish and has escaped a troubled past. The Sykes family’s pursuit of her places Ellen at the center of the film’s most dangerous domestic and outlaw thread.
Naming note: Netflix’s shorter cast listing identifies the character as Ellen Harvey, while a Cannes production background document uses Ellen/Lucy in connection with the role. “Ellen Harvey” is the clearest name for a general cast guide, with the alternate label worth noting because readers may encounter it in production material.
Owen Crow Shoe as Pionsenay and Tatanka Means as Taklishim
Owen Crow Shoe plays Pionsenay, a Western Apache warrior whose response to settler encroachment moves toward open resistance. Tatanka Means plays Taklishim, a family man who is caught between his father’s more cautious position and Pionsenay’s decision to fight back.
Their storyline is not simply an additional adventure thread. It supplies essential context for the settlement’s attack and shows the consequences of presenting westward migration only from the settlers’ point of view. The film’s White Mountain Apache characters are dealing with the arrival of settlers on land that is already part of their community and history.
Abbey Lee as Marigold
Marigold is a survivor living in Watts Parish. After witnessing a murder, she goes on the run with Hayes Ellison. Her flight links the Watts Parish material to Costner’s character and introduces a pursuit story built around danger, secrecy, and the violent Sykes family.
Jamie Campbell Bower as Caleb Sykes
Caleb Sykes is the older son in the outlaw Sykes family. Production material describes him as brutal, unhinged, vicious, and conceited, making him one of the clearest sources of personal menace in the film’s Watts Parish storyline.
Will Patton as Owen Kittredge
Patton plays Owen Kittredge, a widower and Civil War veteran traveling west with his daughters. His family is part of the wagon-train narrative, where the promise of a new life is constantly tested by travel, uncertainty, and the moral cost of migration.
Luke Wilson as Matthew Van Weyden
Matthew Van Weyden becomes the wagon train’s de facto leader. He is responsible for helping a large group of pioneers move through a landscape where logistical problems and ideological disagreements can be as consequential as direct attacks.
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Danny Huston as Colonel Albert Houghton
Huston’s Colonel Albert Houghton is a senior military figure who sees both sides of the frontier project: the settlers’ determination to establish a community and the harsh conditions and conflicts created by that expansion.
Michael Rooker as Sergeant Major Thomas Riordan
Sergeant Major Thomas Riordan is a veteran military lifer assigned to Camp Gallant. After the attack on the Horizon settlement, he helps lead a contingent toward the community, tying the settlement narrative to the film’s military response.
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Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 has a deep supporting ensemble. Several performers appear in storylines that overlap only gradually, so some names may be more recognizable than the amount of screen time in the first chapter suggests.
Settlers, wagon-train travelers, and Horizon figures
- Giovanni Ribisi as Pickering
- Tim Guinee as James Kittredge
- Georgia MacPhail as Elizabeth Kittredge
- Isabelle Fuhrman as Diamond Kittredge
- Ella Hunt as Juliette Chesney
- Tom Payne as Hugh Proctor
- Scott Haze as Elias Janney
- Kathleen Quinlan as Annie Pine
- Etienne Kellici as Russell Ganz
- James Russo as Abel Naughton
- Jeff Fahey as Tracker
Watts Parish and outlaw storyline
- Michael Angarano as Walt, also identified in fuller production material as Walter Childs
- Jon Beavers as Junior Sykes
- Colin Cunningham as Chisholm or Chishold
- Neron Chavez as Alejandro Edda
- Michael Angarano as Walter Childs in the fuller character listing
Character-name notes: Shorter cast listings use “Walt” for Michael Angarano, while production material gives the fuller name Walter Childs. Colin Cunningham’s role appears as “Chishold” in one listing and “Chisholm” in another. “Chisholm/Chishold” is therefore the safest wording unless an official final studio character list is being used.
Military and survey characters
- Angus Macfadyen as Desmarais
- David O’Hara
- Chris Conner as Second Surveyor
- Tom Everett
- Glynn Turman
Apache and Indigenous characters
- Wasé Winyan Chief as Liluye
- Gregory Cruz as Tuayeseh
- Amos Jason Charging Cloud
- Alex Nibley
- Bodhi Okuma Linton
- Leroy M. Silva
- Bernardo Velasco
The published cast information does not assign a named character to every supporting performer. That is why some names above are listed without roles rather than being given invented character descriptions.
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How the cast fits into the film’s story
The film’s structure explains why its cast list is so large. Instead of following Hayes Ellison from beginning to end, Chapter 1 moves between several groups whose stories gradually establish the competing interests surrounding Horizon.
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- The military: Trent Gephardt, Colonel Houghton, and Sergeant Major Riordan represent the military presence responding to the attack and the wider instability.
- Watts Parish: Ellen Harvey, Walt or Walter Childs, Marigold, Caleb Sykes, and Junior Sykes occupy a separate thread involving domestic life, murder, pursuit, and outlaw violence.
- The wagon train: Matthew Van Weyden, Owen Kittredge, Diamond Kittredge, Juliette Chesney, and Hugh Proctor travel west while facing the practical and moral pressures of migration.
- The White Mountain Apache community: Pionsenay, Taklishim, Liluye, and the other Indigenous characters confront the consequences of settler expansion and disagree over how to respond.
This multi-threaded design makes the cast guide more useful than a simple “hero and villains” list. Characters are connected by the same expansionist setting, but they do not all share the same goals, location, or understanding of what Horizon represents.
When and where is Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 set?
The story begins in 1859, during the period leading into the American Civil War, and follows settlers, soldiers, outlaws, and Apache communities across the American West. The larger project was announced as a four-part saga spanning 15 years across the pre- and post-Civil War eras.
Although the characters and conflicts are grounded in the history of westward expansion, the film is an original fictional story. Its historical setting is used to examine migration, military power, violence, community-building, and the impact of settlers moving onto Indigenous land.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to watch or own the film
Availability changes by country and over time. Netflix’s current title information and related editorial coverage indicate that the film is available to stream on Netflix in the market covered by the retrieved sources, while Warner Bros. previously announced a Max streaming launch in August 2024. Check the Netflix or Max listing for your country before relying on either service, since streaming rights and catalogs are not permanent.
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Physical editions
For readers who want to revisit the performances or keep the first chapter in a collection, the film has been released in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD formats. Verify the seller, region compatibility, current price, and inventory before purchasing. The 4K edition is the premium physical option; Blu-ray is a practical high-definition alternative, while DVD is useful for standard DVD players.
Disclosure: This article may contain links to retailers. If you buy through an approved retailer link, DocumentaryTube may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Release and production facts
- Release: The film opened theatrically in the United States on June 28, 2024.
- Director: Kevin Costner.
- Producers: Kevin Costner and his production collaborators.
- Screenplay: Kevin Costner and Jon Baird.
- Story: Jon Baird, Kevin Costner, and Mark Kasdan.
- Genre: Western, historical drama, and epic ensemble film.
- Format: The first chapter of a planned four-installment saga.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the main actor in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1?
Kevin Costner is the film’s central star. He plays Hayes Ellison, a solitary survivor, and also directed, produced, and co-wrote the film.
Who plays Frances Kittredge in Horizon Chapter 1?
Sienna Miller plays Frances Kittredge, a pioneer woman who travels to the Horizon settlement with her husband in search of a better life.
Who plays the Apache characters in Horizon Chapter 1?
Owen Crow Shoe plays Pionsenay and Tatanka Means plays Taklishim. The cast also includes Wasé Winyan Chief as Liluye and Gregory Cruz as Tuayeseh.
Is Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 based on a true story?
No. It is an original fictional story set against the history of Civil War-era America and westward expansion.
Where can I watch Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1?
Streaming availability depends on country and can change. The retrieved availability information indicates Netflix access in the relevant market and a previous Max release, so check the current official Netflix or Max listing before watching. Physical 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD editions are also available.
The Bottom Line
The cast of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is built around several intersecting stories rather than one conventional Western hero. Kevin Costner’s Hayes Ellison is the main connecting presence, while Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Abbey Lee, and the large supporting ensemble represent the settlers, soldiers, wagon travelers, outlaws, and Apache communities whose interests collide around Horizon.
Quick Recap
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