Kevin Costner Confirms Departure from ‘Yellowstone’

Yellowstone

Kevin Costner has confirmed he will not return to the Paramount Network hit series ‘Yellowstone’, citing scheduling conflicts and contractual issues. The actor, known for his portrayal of John Dutton in the popular neo-Western saga, expressed disappointment in how his exit was handled and clarified the reasons for his departure.

Costner posted an Instagram update saying “I 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’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 B or into the future,” this news comes on the back of yesterday’s announcement by Paramount that season 5B will premiere on Sunday, November 10 at 8 p.m.

In an interview with People, Costner revealed that he had a contract for seasons 5, 6, and 7 of ‘Yellowstone’. However, after months of negotiating, Paramount offered a different contract for two parts of season 5 and potentially a sixth season. These contract talks ultimately fell through. At this point in time it’s unknown whether Yellowstone itself will continue after the conclusion of 5B or will give way to a sequel series.

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Costner emphasized that ‘Yellowstone’ was always his priority and that he even fitted his upcoming multi-part Western movie saga, ‘Horizon: An American Saga’, around his schedule for the show. He explained that delays in production on ‘Yellowstone’ interfered with his plans, and he felt let down by the lack of defense from the show’s executives, as well as cast and crew members during the negotiations.

The circumstances of John Dutton’s exit from the show remain unclear, although it was expected that the character would meet his end. Costner told GQ that he had offered a week of his time to film a death scene if needed, but this offer was not taken up by Paramount and creator Taylor Sheridan.

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Despite the drama, Costner has left the door open to a potential return, stating that he would “love” to come back under the right circumstances. However, with filming already underway for the second half of season 5, a return seems unlikely.

The conclusion of ‘Yellowstone’ has sparked a wave of spin-offs and prequels, with ‘1883’ and ‘1923’ having already aired, as well as ‘1944’ and a contemporary spin-off, ‘2024’, in the works.

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