A few minutes before picking up his Cinema Icon Award last night at CinemaCon, I landed an exclusive video interview with Kevin Costner backstage. Since I’m going to be talking with him this weekend for Draft Day (which once again shows he’s the king of sports movies), I decided to use my limited time to talk about when he might direct again, future projects, and his awesome work in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.

Like he told me on the set of Jack Ryan (which was one of the best on-set interviews I’ve ever done), Costner has been developing a number of possible projects, but what he wants to direct doesn’t necessarily line up with what the studio wants him to direct. He talked about financing Mike Binder’s Black and White, how he has an idea to make a Western trilogy all at once then release them on Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day in a 12-month span, wanting to adapt the novel The Explorers (the first of five books) for television, and Man of Steel. Hit the jump for what he had to say.

Kevin Costner:

Costner has three or four projects he could direct, but what he wants to direct doesn’t necessarily line up with what the studio wants him to direct, so he finds he has to finance projects himself. He just financed Mike Binder’s Black and White .

. 2:10 – He has an idea to make a Western trilogy all at once, then release them on Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day in a 12-month span. Also mentions a fourth movie could follow.

3:35 – Talks about wanting to adapt the novel The Explorers , the first of five books, for television. Could be animation.

, the first of five books, for television. Could be animation. 4:50 – Costner values rehearsal time, which was difficult with the fast pace of Man of Steel, but he and Zack Snyder found a way to make it work.

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