About this episode

This episode explores the making of 'Dances With Wolves' and its various cuts, highlighting Kevin Costner's risks and the film's production challenges.

Kevin Costner gambled hard on making a three hour western, a third of which wasn't in the English language. He turned down roles in The Hunt For Red October and Presumed Innocent to take the risk of making Dances With Wolves. And while history tells it as a masterstroke, in the months leading up to the release, it looked anything but. In this episode, Simon digs into the story of the film, the fact that it was millions short of its modest budget when shooting began... and now, the tale of three different cuts of Dances With Wolves too. If you like this independent podcast, made in a small room in the West Midlands here in the UK, please leave a nice review and subscribe. If you really like it, head over to www.patreon.com/simonbrew too. Thank you so much for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More episodes of Film Stories with Simon Brew

• Howard The Duck (1986) and the first Marvel movie, plus Terri White · July 7, 2026 · 1h 22m
• Gladiator (2000) and its journey to the screen, plus director Morgan Matthews · June 29, 2026 · 1h 32m
• American Made (2017), and the Tom Cruise film that's fallen through the cracks · June 22, 2026 · 47 min
• In conversation with Sam Campbell - Make That Movie, bananas, VHS tapes, cinema and more · June 19, 2026 · 53 min
• Fight Club (1999), plus the dig against Rupert Murdoch at the end · June 15, 2026 · 54 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Film Stories with Simon Brew podcast page.