Kevin Costner had a very emotional experience at the premiere of his film Horizon: An American Saga at the Cannes Film Festival, where attendees gave him a thunderous 10-minute standing ovation. The scene went viral thanks to YouTuber Mix Top, who added Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” to the footage. The ballad was featured on Costner’s and Houston’s box office smash hit film The Bodyguard. The song has a special significance for Costner, as he famously helped make the song a hit.
The upload gained 3.8 million views on YouTube, and the emotion that Costner displays in the moment makes for a very compelling watch. He began developing the script for Horizon: An American Saga in 1988. He then ran into trouble getting financial backing for the epic Western, although he eventually completed the project. Costner co-wrote, directed, and acted in the film, as well as investing $38 million of his own money into the project, so to get such a warm reception left him very moved.
Costner attended the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024 with five of his seven children, including 15-year-old Hayes Costner, who starred in the film alongside his father. Before the premiere of Horizon: An American Saga, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati presented Costner with France’s Order of Arts and Letters for his contribution to cinema. She referenced his role starring in The Bodyguard alongside Houston during the ceremony, saying “I will always love you” as part of her speech.
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As the minister hinted at, Costner and Whitney’s iconic scene in The Bodyguard that features “I Will Always Love You” has gone down in cinema history. In the scene, Whitney Houston’s character, a famous actress, stops her private jet on the runway to share a passionate kiss with Costner’s character, a former Secret Service agent and bodyguard who had recently saved her life.
The Music Man readers may recall that Costner both co-produced and starred in The Bodyguard. In an event that went down in Hollywood lore, Costner famously helped make “I Will Always Love You” an international number one hit.
Houston was originally scheduled to record a cover of Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” for the film. However, Costner instead insisted that the team give Houston Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” instead, which previously had been skipped over during the selection process.
Costner also contributed to vocal arrangement, as he explained to Country Music Television. He told the station, “I said, ‘We’re also going to do this a cappella at the beginning. I need it to be a cappella because it shows a measure of how much she digs this guy – that she sings without music.'” Both the song and movie became huge hits and remain in the hearts of fans of the late Houston.
If you would like to hear more from this talented singer, you can subscribe to Whitney Houston’s YouTube Channel for more incredible music and visit her official website.