A year and a half has passed since the drama unfolded around Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan’s involvement with Yellowstone. In May 2023, fans were shocked by the sudden announcement of Costner’s departure from the series, leaving the storyline hanging and sparking speculation about backstage drama.
However, it appears that Taylor Sheridan had everything meticulously planned out for quite some time especially the series’ ending. Here’s the inside scoop on what’s really happening behind-the-scenes.
Taylor Sheridan Had Yellowstone’s Ending Planned Before the Kevin Costner Drama
Given Yellowstone’s immense popularity and the love it has received, it’s only natural for fans to want more of it. However, Taylor Sheridan, the mastermind behind this universe, has a different plan.
He has had the ending mapped out for quite some time and is actively working towards that goal. Despite the absence of star Kevin Costner and his character John Dutton, Yellowstone is set to conclude when Season 5 returns on November 10 with its final episodes, and it appears this won’t hinder the story in any way. In a 2021 interview with The New York Times, Sheridan revealed his plans for the series. He said,
Well, I know how it ends. I’m writing to that ending. There’s only so much hovering one can do before the story starts to lose its locomotion; you can’t put it in neutral just because it’s successful. It will go as many years as it takes for me to tell the story, but you’re not going to see nine seasons of it. No way.
Yellowstone Season 5 debuted its first eight episodes on the Paramount Network starting from November 13, 2022, wrapping up on January 1, 2023. The second half of the season, comprising six episodes, was initially slated for a summer 2023 release but faced delays due to Hollywood strikes and production challenges.
Now, the highly anticipated final episodes are set to premiere on November 10, 2024, leaving fans eager for the conclusion of the journey they’ve been deeply invested in.
Why Kevin Costner Left Yellowstone
Kevin Costner, who currently has his plate quite full with Horizon, officially departed from Yellowstone in 2023. While this decision may have come as a disappointment to fans, it wasn’t surprising to many.
Speculation and reports from Costner himself regarding scheduling conflicts and production challenges floated for quite some time. In a statement to Deadline in May, Costner finally cleared the air, he said,
There was no script. And then things imploded. You’ve been reading one version [of this behind-the-scenes drama] for a year and a half. I left my movie to be on time for them for 5B. I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me. It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B. They needed four more days just to complete the first eight episodes. I left early to give them what they needed to have a complete eight, and I felt bad that the audience didn’t get 10.
He further explained,
They didn’t have the scripts for anything else. So, what you read in the end was that I said, “Well, look, I’m doing my movie. If you want me to work a week because you want to kill me or whatever else, I can give you a week.” I really didn’t have that week to give them, but I said, I’ll do that. And then they [spun that] into, I only wanted to work a week.
As it became evident that the show might be moving on without him, Costner mentioned offering a week of his time to assist the writers and producers with writing him off. He explained that production on Yellowstone had been halted for 14 months due to factors beyond the cast’s control. Given that Yellowstone was his initial priority, he found it challenging to keep up with the schedule towards the very end. Although rumors of his return were abundant, in a recent Instagram video, he made things clear.
I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love. I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue, season five or into the future
It was pretty evident that Costner has nothing but love for the show and its huge fandom. John Dutton will always be beloved by the fans. People can’t wait to see how it all ends.
Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 will premiere on November 10, 2024, on Paramount Plus.