The Real Reason Kevin Costner Is Leaving Yellowstone

Yellowstone is one of the most popular shows in American television history. That is hardly surprising, as the neo-Western drama created by Taylor Sheridan tells a beautifully written, thoughtful story about a family that has owned the Yellowstone Ranch for six generations. They are now locked in a power struggle not only for the right to the land but also for the control of the entire state of Montana.

The main marketing advantage of this original series was the involvement of Hollywood legend Kevin Costner, who even won this year's Golden Globe for his role as John Dutton. Unfortunately, things are not going so well for Yellowstone, as a conflict between Costner and Sheridan's team led to the actor's departure from the project. So, what's the real reason behind Costner's decision to leave the his series?

Rumors of Departure

Over the course of four and a half seasons, viewers have grown attached not only to John Dutton but also to the other members of the ensemble cast, getting invested in the stories of Beth and Rip, Kacey and Jamie. However, rumors earlier this year that Costner might leave the project were seen as devastating. After all, the charisma and cold calculations of the family patriarch became one of the main attractions for new viewers.

Unfortunately, the rumors turned into a harsh reality, as in May 2023, Paramount officially announced that Costner would be leaving the project.

Real Reason

Even before Paramount confirmed Costner's departure, the Internet was abuzz with rumors and speculation about why the Hollywood A-lister was fixing to leave: whether there were creative differences between Costner and Sheridan or whether it was a financial dispute. It turns out it was a scheduling conflict. And money.

Costner focused on producing his own western project, Horizon: An American Saga, consisting of four feature-length installments. As a result, the actor requested a reduction in the number of shooting days for Parts 1 and 2 of Season 5. Costner demanded all his scenes for Part 2 be filmed within just one week!

According to Costner himself, he still cared deeply about the future of the series and his character and even tried to resume negotiations.

'I couldn't help them any more,' he said in September. 'We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons, there were issues with the creative… we came up with a number, and they [Yellowstone] walked away.'

It remains unknown if Costner will still appear in part two of the final season or if his character will be written out off-screen. Either way, the last batch of episodes won’t be released until 2024 because of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Source: People.