Kevin Costner Says He Makes “Movies for Men” But Includes “Strong Women Characters” As The Backbone

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The ‘Dances With Wolves’ Oscar-winning director recently attended Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast with his ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ co-stars Sam Worthington, Abbey Lee and Luke Wilson.

During the conversation, Costner discussed writing characters that aren’t usually developed in Westerns — in this case: female characters.

“When you start writing you go, ‘Where’s the woman?’ It just drove the story in every plot line,” the actor/director said. “It just seemed to me to be so easy. I mean, I just hardly couldn’t conceive of a scene that didn’t involve women or a young girl raised by a strong woman.”

Costner gave Sienna Miller praise (his co-star who wasn’t in attendance), saying she helped bring his characters to life through “luminous” acting.

“I make movies for men,” Costner continued. “That’s what I do. But I won’t make a movie unless I have strong women characters, and that’s how I’ve conducted my career. And I think that’s why I have a good following. I thank you women for dragging your men here. It was a Western, after all.”

‘Horizon: An American Saga’ is the first installment in a four-part epic film series, with the second part set to be released in August. Parts three and four are currently in production.

The story chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west.

Costner returned to directing for the first time in over 20 years, and is acclaimed for his directorial debut, ‘Dances With Wolves,’ in which he won an academy award for best director in 1991.

Watch the trailer for ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ below: