Kevin Costner candidly discusses the conflict surrounding his Yellowstone scheduling and his pending exit from the show. The show, which premiered in 2018, focuses on Costner’s John Dutton and his family, who struggle to protect their cattle ranch from outsiders. Yellowstone season 5 part 2 will be the final installment of the show and is due to premiere in November. It has enjoyed critical acclaim but has not been without its issues, as Costner has famously been embroiled in a contract dispute, which has led to his acrimonious departure ahead of the final episodes.
The star sat down with Deadline to discuss his upcoming Horizon: An American Saga movie series, the filming of which caused difficulties with his Yellowstone commitments. Costner was asked about what happened and mentioned rumors surrounding the issue, declaring, “It wasn’t truthful.” Check out Costner’s comments below:
Well, I haven’t felt good about it the last year, what with the way they’ve talked about it. It wasn’t truthful. So now I’m talking about a little bit about what the real truth of it was. I made a contract for seasons five, six and seven. In February, after a two- or three-month negotiation, they made another contract. They wanted to redo that one, and instead of seasons six and seven, it was 5A and 5B, and maybe we’ll do six. They weren’t able to make those. Horizon was set in the middle, but Yellowstone was first position. I fit [Horizon] into the gaps. They just kept moving their gaps.
Could Kevin Costner Still Return To Yellowstone?
Costner’s Yellowstone Return Faces Complications
It seems, based on Costner’s comments, that he has enjoyed his time on Yellowstone, but was unable to put the show first due to the constantly changing schedules. The actor has admitted he’s open to returning to the neo-Western, but the behind the scenes conflicts have prevented any sort of deal from being made. It initially looked like Costner’s work on Horizon: An American Saga was largely to blame for his sudden Yellowstone exit, but now the actor is insisting there is more to the story.
In addition to the scheduling problems, Costner reportedly has fought with Yellowstone showrunner Taylor Sheridan, something that only further complicates his potential involvement in the rest of season 5. Costner’s prickly response above suggests there is still bad blood between him and those involved in the Yellowstone production, which could make hopes of a return unlikely. Filming hasn’t yet begun, so things could change in the future if both sides work something out. In the meantime, however, John Dutton won’t have a presence in Yellowstone season 5, part 2.
The Horizon saga marks Costner’s return to directing for the first time since 2003’s Open Range, and the movies have all the classic hallmarks of his career: a Western theme, epic storytelling, sprawling scenery, and an extra-long runtime. There is every chance the franchise could put Costner on the map once again as a director. However, for Yellowstone viewers, the situation is a bit more bittersweet. While he could make a surprise cameo in the final episodes of Yellowstone, it so far seems Costner is moving on.