Throughout the press tour for his upcoming project,Β Horizon: An American Saga,Β Kevin CostnerΒ has openly discussed his time onΒ YellowstoneΒ and hinted at the possibility of his return, even suggesting he would come back just to be killed off. However, as of now, thereβs no news of Costner and series creatorΒ Taylor SheridanΒ mending their differences ahead of the series finale. Production ofΒ YellowstoneΒ Season 5 Part 2 is currently underway without Costnerβs character, John Dutton. Meanwhile, theΒ YellowstoneΒ spinoff series, titledΒ 2024, is in development and will feature several key cast members from the original drama series.Β But speaking with PEOPLE,Β Costner has opened up on the speculation surrounding his departure, and heβs not happy about the discourse.
Costnerβs experience onΒ YellowstoneΒ was one he cherished deeply. βI loved the show,β he said. Portraying patriarch John Dutton III for five seasons, Costnerβs involvement was driven by a profound affection for the narrative and its ensemble, making the controversies surrounding his departure particularly painful.
DespiteΒ YellowstoneΒ initially being pitched to him as a one-season project akin to a long movie, Costner embraced the challenge of extending the series.
βWhen it was first pitched to me by Taylor, it was one season and [like] a long movie, which [is] speaking my languageβ¦ but ultimately, I think what happened was the studio didnβt want that. And because heβs such a prolific writer, he said, βI can do that. I can make a series that goes on.ββ
Costner gladly βstepped upβ and committed to three seasons, ultimately delivering five, but the lack of progress on new scripts was just too much of a burden. Despite reports linking his exit toΒ Horizon: An American Saga, Costner clarified that his departure was primarily due to the lack of new material forΒ Yellowstone. βThere was a moment where that show for me stopped for 14 months,β he added.
As is his way,Β Costner remained silent amidst the rumours, though he was βdisappointedβ that no one defended him. βI read all the stories. I was disappointed that nobody on their sideβ¦ ever stepped up to defend what it was I actually did for them. There came a moment where I thought, βWow, when is somebody going to say something about what I have done versus what I havenβt done?ββ
Kevin Costner Still Wants to Finish His βYellowstoneβ Story
Costnerβs initial draw to the project was his admiration for the writing and vision behindΒ Yellowstone,Β and that appreciation fueled his dedication and willingness to return if the right conditions were met.
βI liked the writing and really, really liked what Taylor was doing. He understood the world of modern-day ranching and was able to create all this other type of drama inside it, but in an effective way. Iβve always felt thatβ¦ It might be an interesting moment to come back and finish the mythology of this modern-day family.β
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates onΒ Yellowstone,Β Horizon: An American Saga, and other projects featuring Kevin Costner.