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It is now double-secret official: Kevin Costner says he won’t be returning to Yellowstone, ever.
Costner made the proclamation in an Instagram video posted late Thursday — hours after the lonnnng-delayed back half of Yellowstone Season 5 finally got a precise premiere date — bringing to a close an exhausting and often-circular 17 months’ worth of rumors, he said/they said, and speculation.
“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 5B or into the future,” Costner shares in the video below, alluding to his big-screen Western franchise, Horizon: An American Saga, which will his theaters with “Chapter 1” next Friday, June 28.
“[Yellowstone] was something that really changed me,” he goes on to say. “I loved it, and I know you loved it, and I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning. I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop, and I’ll see you at the movies.”
Reports of Costner’s Yellowstone status being in flux amid alleged “disagreements over shooting schedules” first surfaced in February 2023. Since then, there have been myriad reports and sound bites, from both sides.
At one point, Costner reportedly proposed a one-week-only work schedule, which Paramount Network declined; Costner has since explained that when he found himself with a free week, he offered it to Yellowstone, “and somebody picked up the idea that I only wanted to work one week. And that has been a carryover thing that I have seen in magazines: that I’ve only wanted to work one week.”
Before the writers’ strike began in May 2023, series co-creator Taylor Sheridan had finished scripts for the back half of Season 5 that did not include Costner, seeing as the decision to split Season 5 into two halves interfered with production on Horizon.
“Their big plan was to suddenly do eight [episodes] now and then in the fall do eight more,” Costner told GQ recently. “I said, ‘I have a contract to do Horizon, and I have people and money.’ I think there was a belief that I couldn’t get it mounted.” But the writer-director-star managed to pull it off.
Even amid reports of his behind-the-scenes tension with Sheridan, Costner said as recently as April that he’d “love” to do more Yellowstone, if “I feel really comfortable with it.”
Alas, that return is not to be.
Are you disappointed that Costner won’t be back on Yellowstone? Are you at all surprised? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.
I appreciate his finally letting fans know that he’s left them holding the bag after investing all that time watching Yellowstone especially since that show revived his career. Yellowstone gave him the opportunity to let his ego run amuck on a series of four movies which will never be completed. I suspect that the urban dictionary in times to come will have phrases for the word “pride” such as “He did a real Costner”.
He actually made the show what it is not the other way around.
I love how “fans” like yourself say drama without even knowing a single fact.
Sheesh.
Not for me. John Dutton was my least favorite character–behind Beth. Think about it. He alone screwed up his children by molding them into what HE needed them to be. Once his wife died, John just didn’t GAF. Honoring his promise to his father became his mission.
We saw Jamie hit Beth with the cold hard fact that the ranch isn’t even profitable. John shot down all good ideas. They could make a killing if they opened it up to the public, charged an admission fee to see how things work on the ranch. Take people for a hay ride. Let them ride horses. Host a cookout and then send them on their way. Charge $50 a person would = $$$ There was also the idea of letting people have their wedding there. John shot it all down.
Dude brands his people and doesn’t even wear the brand himself 🤣
To suggest the Dutton family give “hay rides” to vacationing Californian’s, shows that you obviously have no clue what traditional family values are. Did you even watch the show?
Traditional family values and the Duttons do not belong in the same sentence. Glad my family doesn’t act like them!
Kevin Costner’s character I don’t believe was truly meant to be relegated to central patriarch status. John had so much more to offer but Sheridan’s scripts and moving onto too many other projects in time left his character feeling Mama Ewing on Dallas. He may be the sad man holding onto something he never really owned. It’s clear with Jamie marrying a Native American and having a son that the boy will be the true heir and his inherited claim on the land will return it to The Natives thus fulfilling a prophecy from 1883. Jamie felt like a mere recurring side-arc with nothing more than a cheap foil to Beth Dutton. Yes, here’s my hot take on “The Beth and Rip Show.” Everybody wanted more no matter how much they hated her and now it ruins the show from being something more. It is called Yellowstone not The Duttons. They tried to bring the camp fire gang into it and these hired hands didn’t sing nothing new. Might as well pour the water over the flames and say “Goodnight John Boy.” Did I mention Beth? Of course I did because it ultimately her show. She’s steals every scene she’s in and hogs the spotlight in scenes with other regular cast members and guest stars. Now CBS will be airing will be Yellowstone. I like to see how they edit this show or the censors bleep every other line. I guess they couldn’t have their moneymaker taken to the train station without closure since Paramount might get sold to Sony. Funny that Paramount/CBS decided to axed to CSI Vegas and NCIS Hawai’i without proper closure. These two networks don’t get their viewer base and shows fans at all.
Sorry I did not mean Jamie is married to the native woman I meant to write Casey. Excuse my blunder. We certainly excuse Sheridan’s many flukes and flaws with this show.
You don’t have to like the characters being portrayed but remember they are acting from script. We might not like some of the characters but they are playing the roles that are written and directed from “top professionals”. I’m not crazy how some scenes were played but as I said….the actors are acting from script.
Interesting how this article seems to be parroting Paramount`s propaganda pieces without an ounce of healthy criticism towards the sourcing…. Not a sign of a good journalist, even in the field of entertainment.
The first three seasons were great. Seasons 4 and first part season 5 were poorly written, in my opinion. I watch the first three over and over. I barely got through the others once. I’ll watch to see how they wrap it up, but it was over a long while ago.
Yep. Season 4 and 5 were just slogs because they were trying to extend things and cash in on it. Greed at its finest.
At this point and after so long, I really don’t care either way! Yellowstone has already ended for me!
The first three seasons were great. Seasons 4 and first part season 5 were poorly written, in my opinion. I watch the first three over and over. I barely got through the others once. I’ll watch to see how they wrap it up, but it was over a long while ago. I won’t watch without Costner. He was Yellowstone.
Nooooooooo! This is heartbreaking.
Something people forget was that Coster was ready and willing to film Season 5 part B, but Taylor Shirdan seriously delayed the scripts he refuses to hire any writer to assist him with, and the time alloted to shoot those episodes came and went. Costner had the two films he’s not only starring and directing, but, also, financing and coudn’t accomodate the rescheduling. He said he could carve out a week to shoot his scenes and the whole press ran with the story Costner was demanding to only work a week.
There was no way they were going to be able to do his scenes in a week unless they severely altered his storyline which in turn—impacts the other stories. Not only would thad have been chaotic—also impossible. On average it takes approximately 5-8 days to film just one episode of a tv show.
If this was truly possible I would think that Paramount would have overruled Taylor to make it happen. Just because he’s the creator, he does answer to the network.
Doesn’t mean Taylor couldn’t have gotten his crap together and had the scripts done instead of trying to cash in and create 50 spinoffs.
I would imagine that Taylor’s contract with Paramount included all of these shows. He’s allowed to have more than one iron in the fire. Let’s not pretend that two strikes didn’t play a significant role in the delay.
Costner’s request/offer to shoot ONE week a month was counterproductive.
Strikes had zero role on the script delay. He was supposed to turn them in before the strikes. Costner never demanded to shoot only one week, Sheridan simply failed to write the scripts and production did not start as scheduled. When he finally wrote them, Costner was busy doing other work he was commited to, in a production that followed its scheduled. He still managed to move thing around and offer a week to wrap his role on Yellowstone.
Paramount bought Sheridan a 300 million ranch and pays for its upkeep. They aren’t forcing him do do anything. In turn, he makes them reveral hit shows. Fair trade. But Costner only having a week to shoot was him doing a favour, moving his schedule and making it work. Taylor had the appropriate time to shhot Costney as much as he wanted. He, who refuse to have a writer’s room, delayed the scripts for months. Costner isn’t the villain here. Even tough Taylor Sheridan failed this production, he still was willing to figure something out. You can shoot an ending to a character in a week. Sheridan declined.
Exactly. People can try and spin it however they want, but the fault lies with Sherdian not getting the scripts done when he was supposed to. Costner was available when he was supposed to be and it was well before the strike, so no other way around it. Sheridan screwed the pooch on that one. You want to be off writing other things and refuse to hire other writers, so be it, but that doesn’t mean any actor should or will be sitting on their butt waiting for you to get your job done.
People are allowed to have a DIFFERENT opinion same as you and the other Costner fanBOY!
Good Lord man. Of course you can shoot the END of a character in a week. That’s not what I’m even talking about. It is my understand that KC offered that up for the back episodes…PLURAL. But whatever. We can agree to disagree. You see it your way and I see it another way.
I see it as the facts. Costner was fully available to shoot all 10 episodes, way before the strike, exactly when they were supposed to shoot. There were no spripts.
See it however you want bud. He’s outta there is also a fact.
Disappointing… it’s not Yellowstone without him. Now what about the continuation of 1923? Is that ever going to happen?
Films later this year: https://tvline.com/news/1923-jennifer-carpenter-cast-season-2-1235268244/
Yes it will feel off without him driving the storyline. But they have great actors that can go bigger
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Welp. That’s the end of Yellowstone. Show hasn’t been anything special since Season 3. I’m not sad, just disappointed that the show didn’t continue his high level of quality the last few seasons and now even less so with the loss of Costner.
Personally Yellowstone was the only thing I liked about Costner. I don’t know why folks think the show couldn’t survive without him. I always thought the other characters had a much better storyline that need to be developed. I honestly thought that there was some sort of contractional agreement that was stifled to stoked Costner’s ego. I hope the writer’s make an effort to do this. I think it’s time for Casey to step up to the plate. Beth, Rib and Jamie have the rest covered. It’s not like Costner did much other than play patriarch anyway.
I wonder when the final season of Yellowstone will air? Costner left Yellowstone, but has managed to do a new movie that is released next week. If his returning was the hold up, shouldn’t Yellowstone be finished now?
https://tvline.com/news/yellowstone-season-5-part-2-release-date-final-episodes-trailer-1235269573/
It sucks and it won’t be the same
If you are right then it’s even more heinous that he chose to go his own way leaving viewers and fellow cast members in the lurch.
Sheridan left the cast in a lurch by screwing up the shedule, not Costner.
Very disappointed. I hope it’s not true. Surprise us!
Definitely won’t be watching Yellowstone anymore Costner made that show and it was a favorite of mine— I think Paramount just shot themselves in the foot
No sense even watching it will not be the same without him.
Disappointed that he’s not returning but if that’s the way he feels that he doesn’t really care for his fans…so no love lost there!
I don’t blame Kevin Costner at all. He had other contracts and obligations. There was no reason that season 5 needed to be split in 2 parts. It could have been aired in 2 parts but filmed all at the same time.
He had other contracts and obligations that he CHOSE to take on knowing that he had a prior commitment to Yellowstone.
Kevin IS that show and won’t be the same without it. The producer shouldn’t have split the schedule.
I look forward to Horizon!
Sheridan owns this. Yellowstone is over for me.
I like him as a good-guy movie star….so I interpret it as, ‘never, will I ever, do TV again’ :)
I really started following the show because Costner was in it, but I’ll still watch the conclusion of Season 5 just to see how everything wraps up
He’ll be begging to come back to the Yellowstone universe after Old West Waterworld flops.
I thought “old west Waterworld” was The Postman? :p