After prolonged back-and-forth discussions, he announced his departure from the series in June 2024 as he remains active with a special project he’s been developing for some time. “Yellowstone,” the hit Western series, stars Kevin Costner in the unforgettable role of John Dutton, a rugged rancher fighting to protect his family’s land in Montana against relentless outside threats. Since its explosive 2018 premiere, Costner has anchored the show across 53 episodes. But in a surprising turn, he chose to exit after the first half of season 5 (5A), its final season, for various reasons.
Ahead of “Yellowstone’s” season 5B return on November 10, 2024, Costner was asked how he described his character’s presence, given his limited appearance in the trailer. He replied, “His presence is integral. I think to say any more than that would potentially compromise all the work that went into redacting the scripts!” Laughing, he added, “But I think the reason people are wondering, ‘Is he, isn’t he? Where is he, where is he not?’ is because he is the patriarch, and his presence is an essential component to the story. John Dutton is still central.”
While the show’s co-creator and writer, Taylor Sheridan, typically keeps scripts under wraps, some speculated that heightened secrecy might be due to several factors. Director Christina Voros was asked if this was because of Costner’s exit, the final season billing of 5B, or the show’s heightened popularity raising expectations.
Voros confirmed that all these factors played a role and noted that with such a beloved show, fans developed ideas about its ending. According to her, Sheridan crafted a beautiful, surprising, riveting, and unexpected conclusion. The director continued, “The cast this year, after seven years of shooting this show, has grown into these roles so deeply that the performances are really next level.” She explained that the actors, who understand their characters as well as Sheridan, have invested a lifetime of work into building these roles. Voros concluded by saying, “The performances this year are just exceptional.”
Shifting back to Costner’s departure, it appears that there were clashes over his filming schedule. Sources indicate that Costner initially allocated 65 days for “Yellowstone” but later sought to reduce his time to 50 days for season 5. For the latter half of the season, the Golden Globes winner allegedly only intended to shoot for one week due to commitments to another project.
By February 2023, Costner was already directing and starring in his multi-part Western film series, “Horizon: An American Saga.” He co-wrote the series with Jon Baird, and the films were picked up by New Line and Warner Bros. Pictures. With Costner still portraying John Dutton, his work on his personal project reportedly frustrated Sheridan, leading to morale issues among the actor’s co-stars.