Is Kevin Costner filming a movie? A TV show? TV movies?

Kevin Costner is filming a movie for Warner Bros / New Line. Actually, scratch that. He's filming four movies. The western, titled Horizon, is set to debut as four interconnected movies, each with an approx 3-hour runtime, that will be released every three months across a year. The film will then also be cut up to serve as a TV series with 42-ish minute instalments.

Is this cinemas first proper serialised set of features? Is it TV on the big screen?

Obviously, the idea of serialised storytelling isn't new to the cinema. Pre-TV, before a feature there would be pre-show entertainment such as serials that often featured pulp-type characters running for 10-20 or so episodes. These were similar to the radio serials of the day and included characters like Batman, Captain Marvel, Superman, Flash Gordon, Brenda Starr, Mandrake The Magician, and many more.

And then there's all the big feature films that have serialised elements, such as the Star Wars film, Marvel's shared universe, Back To The Future, Lord of The Rings, etc.

But this Costner production feels different. It is being produced with transmedia in mind and will readily live beyond the initial release in multiple formats. But even in the cinema, with a scheduled release structure and the interwoven storytelling... how is this any different from watching serialised TV, but on a big communally viewed screen?

Hey look...

It's your first look at one of the Lord Of The Rings TV show orcs*.

*Disclaimer: I don't remember what an orc was. I assume they were in those movies I watched 15 years ago.

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