Are you still hoping Kevin Costner returns to “Yellowstone”? Let John Dutton set the record straight.
Costner, who starred on the hit Paramount series for five seasons, revealed on social media that his time with “Yellowstone” is officially over. In the midst of the premiere of his film “Horizon: An American Saga,” the actor and director said on Instagram Thursday night: “I just realized I'm not going to be able to continue.”
The Oscar winner, 69, ended speculation about a return more than a year after news of his departure broke. Reports of Costner's departure first surfaced in February 2023, but the actor only confirmed the end of his run on “Yellowstone” in September during a hearing in Santa Barbara for his divorce from Christine Baumgartner. At the time he mentioned negotiation problems with the studios behind the beloved series.
In May 2023, Paramount announced that the hit series was ending, with its episodes split into two batches. Costner now says a return for “season 5B or in the future” is unlikely.
“Yellowstone,” created by Taylor Sheridan, premiered in 2018 and became a highly successful series for the network. Costner played the patriarch of the Dutton family, owner of the largest ranch in Montana. In 2023, he won a Golden Globe award for his performance. At the beginning of his Instagram video, Costner told fans that “Yellowstone” is a “beloved series that I love, that I know you guys love.”
And he added: “It was something that really changed me. I loved it and you loved it and I just wanted to let you know that I won't be coming back.”
Costner issued his statement while promoting “Horizon,” which was reportedly one of the reasons he decided to leave “Yellowstone.” Last year, the Hollywood Reporter reported that Costner and Sheridan were at odds over the former's “Horizon” schedule and how it allegedly complicated his “Yellowstone” commitments.
“His movie seems to be a big priority for him and he wants to change the focus,” Sheridan told the Hollywood Reporter last June. “I hope that [the movie is] It's worth it and it's good.”
“Horizon: An America Saga,” the first in a four-film series, will debut in theaters on June 28.
