Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone season 5 status gets an update in a new report, along with a filming timeline for the show’s final episodes.

The status of Kevin Costner in Yellowstone season 5 gets an intriguing update in a new report. Costner’s high-profile and tumultuous exit from the central role of John Dutton has kept one of television’s most successful shows in the headlines. The result of the reported feud between Costner and series creator Taylor Sheridan seems to be that Yellowstone will end without an appearance by the two-time Oscar winner in the final episodes.

But a new update from Matt Belloni’s What I’m Hearing newsletter at Puck reports that one of Costner’s representatives is still asking for Sheridan to bring him back to finish John Dutton’s story. Belloni adds, however, that Sheridan is “super happy with how he currently wraps up the show without Costner.” Given that filming on Yellowstone season 5 part 2 is planned for this coming spring and summer, there’s said to be a limited time for any reconciliation.

Costner’s Yellowstone Conflict, Explained

Reports of the conflict began early in 2023, as news circulated that Costner was refusing to finish Yellowstone season 5 part 2 until he was given a reduced schedule to film his upcoming two-part Western movie Horizon. Reporting also mentioned that Costner wanted to be satisfied with his character’s arc. From there, it was announced that Yellowstone would end with season 5, but that it would be revived through a spinoff sequel series, potentially starring Matthew McConaughey.

Costner had reportedly made efforts to negotiate with Paramount throughout last summer, combined with what were described as “aggressive demands” to Sheridan and producers. At the time, it was stressed that Costner very much wanted to return to Yellowstone, according to the actor’s producing partner Rod Lake. The star felt it’d be a good way of promoting his Horizon movies, which will debut in the summer of 2024, while also giving fans what they wanted. But the previous update indicated that the discussions went poorly, with the series creator and lead star ultimately failing to reconcile.

In a phone call this past June, according to reports, Costner and Sheridan discussed how the former could return to the hit Western series. Costner was said to have shared a list of demands with Sheridan, including an increase in pay, a reduced schedule, and the right to potentially veto the show’s scripts. That last demand was a non-starter, with talks breaking down and Paramount pulling its offer for Costner to return. It remains to be seen whether Costner’s reported desire to return will win out, or if Yellowstone will end without him.