Thatβs a wrap for John Dutton. Kevin Costner put an end to speculation about his future with the Paramount mega-hit on Thursday night, announcing in a video posted to his Instagram account that he wonβt be returning to βYellowstoneβ for the final half of Season 5.
βI just realized that Iβm not going to be able to continue season five B or into the future,β Costner said in the video, citing his commitment to his four-part Western film franchise βHorizonβ while adding that βYellowstoneβ is a show that he βloves.β
βIt was something that really changed me,β he said, and suggesting he hopes the βYellowstoneβ audience will follow him to see βHorizon.β He added βIβll see you at the movies.β
The news came hours afterΒ Paramount announcedΒ that Season 5 Part 2 will premiere in November with or without its top star. Filming began in May.
A Paramount Network spokesperson responded Friday by saying the production couldnβt find a filming window that worked for Costner.
βKevin has been a big part of βYellowstoneβs success. While we had hoped that we would continue working with him, unfortunately, we could not find a window that worked for him, all the other talent and our production needs in order to move forward together. We respect that Kevin has prioritized his new film series and we wish him the best,β the Paramount Network spokesperson said.
Though Costner didnβt mention the behind-the-scenes drama that has rocked the breakaway Paramount Network hit since it went on hiatus in January 2023, the reason for his exit is inextricably tied to it. The actor cited βall the things thatβs requiredβ for his planned four-part Western film franchise, βHorizon: An American Saga,β as the reason he wonβt be returning to play Dutton family patriarch John Dutton in βseason five B or into the future.β
βHorizon: An American Saga β Part 1β opens in theaters on June 28 while βPart 2β hits theaters in August. Costner has begun production on βPart 3β but is still trying to assembling financing to finish that film and βPart 4.β
The six-episode second half of Season 5 was originally scheduled to air in the summer of 2023. But there were reports of production delays almost immediately as co-star Wes Bentley confirmed that as of Jan. 2023 there still werenβt completed scripts for those final episodes. Soon after, CostnerΒ clashed with series creator Taylor SheridanΒ over scheduling, as he wanted production on those episodes to accommodate the filming schedule for βHorizon,β which the actor co-wrote, directed and stars in.
That conflict was rendered moot when the Writers Guild of America went on strike in May 2023, followed in July by SAG-AFTRA. In the interim, Costner finished the first two installments of βHorizon,β with βChapter 1β set to premiere later this month and βChapter 2β hitting theaters on Aug. 16.
How βYellowstoneβ will deal with Costnerβs exit isnβt known, but the first half of Season 5 ended on a cliffhanger, with Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie Dutton (Bentley) determined to kill one another while John, recently elected governor of Montana, was facing impeachmentΒ byΒ Jamie. Meanwhile, Beth has learned about βthe train stationβ where John hides the bodies of people heβs murdered.
It was previously announced that Costner would exit βYellowstoneβ for good after Season 5, with the story to continue in a sequel series called β2024,β similar to previous βYellowstoneβ spinoffs β1883β and β1923.β Matthew McConaugheyΒ will star in β2024β in an undisclosed role; itβs unclear which βYellowstoneβ characters will continue on the new series.
βI want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on βHorizonβ and doing all the things thatβs required, and thinking about βYellowstone,β that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that Iβm not going to be able to continue season five B or into the future,β he said. βIt was something that really changed me. I loved it. And I know you loved it. And I just wanted to let you know that I wonβt be returning and I love the relationship weβve been able to develop and Iβll see you at the movies,β Costner said.
Watch the clip below: