Kevin Costner addresses reports on his Yellowstone departure, hoping to clear the air.
Kevin Costner addresses and confirms reports that he is leaving Yellowstone. In early 2024, media reports suggested that this was due to Costner’s inability to participate in the complete filming schedule for season 5, Part 2. Costner later revealed he needed time to work on his two-part Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga.
In an interview with Deadline, the conversation turned to the future of Yellowstone, which became a cable phenomenon before getting caught up in controversies and speculation about Kevin Costner’s priorities. Costner expressed his dissatisfaction with the misinformation surrounding his commitments. Despite having contracts for seasons five, six, and seven, renegotiations led to restructuring and scheduling disruptions, which led to Costner committing to his new project Horizon over Yellowstone.
Costner stated, “I haven’t felt good about it the last year, with the way they’ve talked about it. It wasn’t truthful. So now I’m talking a little bit about what the real truth of it was. I made a contract for seasons five, six, and seven. In February, after a two- or three-month negotiation, they made another contract. They wanted to redo that one, and instead of seasons six and seven, it was 5A and 5B, and maybe we’ll do six. They weren’t able to make those. Horizon was set in the middle, but Yellowstone was first position. I fit [Horizon] into the gaps. They just kept moving their gaps.”
It’s Kevin Costner’s Turn to Tell a Story
The interview addressed Costner’s financial considerations whilst making Horizon and compared them to Francis Ford Coppola’s self-funded epic Megalopolis, with Costner acknowledging the stability provided by his Yellowstone salary and his ability to pursue his cinematic ambitions. Costner stated, “You know, I’m on schedule right now at $98 million, and when I do the fourth film, it will push me over $100 million. I feel I’ve made a movie for the people, period. This isn’t a movie from me. I felt like it was my turn in my career to tell a story. This is the one I choose to tell. It’s just my turn.”
Despite reports suggesting that Kevin Costner’s departure might bring an end to Yellowstone after Season 5, rumors of a sequel continue to circulate. In a recent interview, Yellowstone star Cole Hauser emphasized his current priority of concluding Yellowstone on a high note while hinting at future projects involving the cast.
Hauser stated, “I’m so focused on finishing Yellowstone the way it needs to be finished right now—just the show itself. We’ll see where that leads. But I know there are some exciting ideas on the horizon involving Taylor, Kelly Reilly, myself, and some of the other cast members. I’m eager to see where he goes creatively with that. But for now, it’s all about finishing strong and doing our best.”