Costner, 69, who has played John Dutton III since the show’s inception, has been the center of much speculation about his return to Yellowstone amid production delays. The actor has finally confirmed his involvement in the series.
One Instagram In the post, Costner described Yellowstone as his “beloved series” that he values very much, but after working on it for over a year, Horizon: American Saga, he “realized” that he “would not be able to continue on to Season 5, or in the future.”
Costner’s statement comes more than a year after rumors that he was Departure began airing, and just days after the actor explained his frustration with the production’s lack of support in his cover story Media stories,Hours before its confirmation, Paramount revealed that the second half of Season 5 would premiere in November 2024, albeit without its franchise star.
Here’s everything you need to know about Costner exit from the western drama prior to the series finale.
While Costner’s official exit may disappoint fans, it follows widespread speculation and reports from Costner himself. Scheduling Constraints and production issues.
In May, Costner told Deadline that he had left the shooting of Horizon and went on location for Yellowstone, but later learned “there was no script for it.” The actor further explained how his effort was misrepresented in the media, despite his busy schedule.
“What you read at 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 something, I can give you a week,'” Costner told the outlet. “I didn’t actually have that week to give them, but I said, I’ll do that. And then they (changed it) to, I only wanted to work a week.”
While Costner’s official exit may disappoint fans, it comes after widespread speculation and reports about a lack of scheduling on the part of Costner himself and production issues.
In May, Costner told Deadline that he had left the shooting of Horizon and went on location for Yellowstone, but later learned “there was no script for it.” The actor further explained how his effort was misrepresented in the media, despite his busy schedule.
“What you read at 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 something, I can give you a week,'” Costner told the outlet. “I didn’t actually have that week to give them, but I said, I’ll do that. And then they (changed it) to, I only wanted to work a week.”
Costner went on to say that his dedication to Yellowstone was never an issue, but that there were many issues beyond his control that made things complicated.
“I made Yellowstone my number one priority, and to say anything other than that would be wrong,” he told the paper. “I didn’t start any of this. They did. They were tap dancing, and the poor guy was writing a lot of stuff.”
Costner has also spoken about the lack of support he has received from those involved in the series. “I was disappointed that no one on their behalf stepped up to defend what I actually did to them,” Costner told PEOPLE in early June 2024. “There was a moment when I thought, ‘Wow, when is someone going to say something about what I have and haven’t done?'”
Despite his disappointments, Costner has expressed his respect for Yellowstone. The actor ended his Instagram message by reiterating what the show means to him, emphasizing his deep affection for the series and the community it created.
“It was something that made a deep impact on me. I enjoyed it, and I know you enjoyed it, too. And I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be back,” Costner remarked, “I love the relationship we’ve been able to build, and I’ll see you in the movies.”
In an interview with The Independent in April, Yellowstone star Luke Grimes claimed he understood Costner’s motivations for leaving.
Grimes, who plays Costner’s on-screen son, Casey Dutton, told the outlet that “whatever happened there” is “unfortunate” in that it could change the direction of the series, but he supports Costner pursuing “passion projects” such as Horizon, which Costner has invested $38 million of his own money in while also directing, co-writing, starring and producing.
“At a certain point, you have to do what you have to do; you have to do what you love,” Grimes says.
However, Yellowstone producer Taylor Sheridan took a different approach to the subject in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in June, saying he was “disappointed” by Costner’s departure.
“It makes his character’s ending shorter. It doesn’t change his ending, it makes it shorter,” Sheridan explained.
