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Yellowstone continues to be one of the most successful shows on television, but the end appears to be in sight. Reports regarding Kevin Costner’s disinterest in playing John Dutton were given more veracity by the cast’s sudden u-turn at a recent press event. Costner’s exit is not yet official, but his departure from Dutton Ranch now seems to be a matter of when not if. 

Kevin Costner’s actions bring the future of ‘Yellowstone’ into question

Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner pose for a photo at the "Yellowstone" premiere.
Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner attend the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “Yellowstone” I Presley Ann/Getty Images

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan longed to work with Costner after being a fan of his filmography for years. However, Costner’s attitude and career ambitions may be the reason the series ends in the near future. The animosity between him and Yellowstone executives began after Costner declared that he would only be available to shoot the second half of the show’s fifth season for a week, a timeframe the studio took issue with due to the actor’s importance to Yellowstone and the amount of money in his contract. Insiders also claim that Costner and Sheridan no longer get along. 

Costner denied the story through his lawyer, but the vibes have only worsened over the past couple of months. The actor says he is committed to portraying John Dutton. However, it’s odd that he already seems to have an exit strategy planned out. 

Costner’s next star vehicle is Horizon, a Civil War-era drama in which he will act, produce, and direct. In addition to that, he will reportedly host and executive produce Kevin Costner’s The West, a History Channel documentary series that examines the legends and misconceptions around the Wild West. 

Mystery surrounds the cancellation of cast appearances at the ‘Yellowstone’ PaleyFest panel

Costner’s relationship with Yellowstone took another strange turn following the events at PaleyFest, an annual television festival held at the Paley Center in Los Angeles. 

The actor was due to take part in a panel about the show after the screening of an episode alongside Sheridan, executive producer David Glasser, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham, and Jacki Weaver. 

But when it came time for the panel to begin, none of those people were in attendance. The lineup featured four other Yellowstone actors (Josh Lucas, Dawn Olivieri, Wendy Moniz, and Mo Brings Plenty) and Paramount Network development president Keith Cox.

The switch-up did not go over well with the audience. According to Vulture, members of the crowd shouted “Where are they?!” at the panel while others simply walked out and demanded refunds for their tickets. 

Paramount expects Costner to return at least to finish ‘Yellowstone’ season five

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‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Says it Was Kevin Costner ‘or Bust’ When It Came to Who Would Play the Deeply Flawed John Dutton

Cox attempted to soothe the let-down crowd with an optimistic view of Costner’s future on Yellowstone. 

“What I can say is our star, the face of our show and the executive producer, are very confident he’s going to continue with our show,” he said. The statement received a round of applause from the audience, but the picture became muddy again almost immediately. He also hinted at a formal announcement of Yellowstone season six in the near future. 

Despite Cox’s firm confidence, the second half of Yellowstone’s fifth season still has not been shot. Cox also could not provide a specific timeframe for when filming would take place. None of the actors on the panel had any idea when production would start either.

Obviously, losing Costner would likely be a fatal blow to Yellowstone, but the extended Taylor Sheridan Universe has plenty of other projects in the works that could shoulder more of the creative and financial burden and entertain fans without the original John Dutton. 

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