New Line, in its defense, is arguing that it had to cover a portion of the financing that Costner’s Horizon Series failed to repay — and now it wants that money back. Reps for New Line declined to comment, while City National Bank and Costner’s Territory Pictures didn’t respond to requests.

Costner wrote, directed, starred in, and helped bankroll Horizon: Chapter 1, mortgaging property and deferring his own pay to get it made. The film was intended to be just the start of an epic four-chapter saga, with a bold release plan that included Chapter 2 hitting theaters a mere seven weeks later. But that idea was abandoned after Horizon opened to a lukewarm $12 million debut, ultimately earning just $38 million worldwide — far short of its massive budget.

In a Hail Mary effort to salvage the project’s visibility, New Line and Territory opted to release the movie on premium video-on-demand and Max while it was still playing in theaters. Meanwhile, Chapter 2 — which was heavily teased in an extended montage at the end of the first film — has yet to receive a new release date, and Chapter 3, which has reportedly begun filming, is still unfunded.

How Much Has Kevin Costner Spent on ‘Horizon’?

Costner has made no secret of his personal investment in the saga — both creatively and financially. In an interview with THR’s Awards Chatter podcast, he revealed that he’s poured between $38 million and “well above $50 million” of his own money into the Horizon films. He even put a call out to the super-rich to get on board.

“I need some more money — I do,” he said. “I need some of these big billionaires, with f—ing boats ‘from here to here’ who are fond of telling people they’re billionaires to come with me and make a movie. I don’t have the money they have and I’ve already made two of ’em. Where are you rich guys?”