[Source: CNN Entertainment]

The next film in Kevin Costner’s ambitious western movie franchise has been postponed.

The sequel to the currently-in-theaters “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” was scheduled to be released in theaters on August 16, but a spokesperson for production company New Line Cinema confirmed to CNN Wednesday that that is no longer the case.

According to the spokesperson, the reasoning behind the pull is “to give audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of ‘Horizon’ over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and (streaming platform) MAX.”

The planned multi-film franchise is a passion project for Costner, who co-wrote, produced, directed and co-stars in the epic western set around the time of the American Civil War.

In an interview with CNN conducted before the first movie’s release, the Oscar-winner said he’s been trying to get the film made for decades and had no concerns that the running time, or multiple installments, might be a turnoff to those with short attention spans.

Costner reportedly sunk $38 million of his own money into the project. He confirmed to CNN that he has been filming a third movie in what was a planned four-movie franchise.