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Kevin Costner doesn't blame himself for 'Yellowstone' issues— and his reason is quite valid

Costner stated that his initial commitment focused on completing seven seasons but it was later axed to a mere five, divided into 5A and 5B.

Kevin Costner's character John Dutton was strategically written off from the popular Western drama series 'Yellowstone' in season five part two. Costner's unexpected exit came after a series of scheduling and management issues on the sets of the neo-classical show. In an exclusive with Deadline, the Academy Award winner stated that his initial commitment focused on completing seven seasons but it was later axed to a mere five, divided into 5A and 5B. Costner disclosed that he never received the full scripts of the finale leading to scheduling conflicts. 

Costner explained, "It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B. They needed four more days just to complete the first eight episodes. I left early to give them what they needed to have a complete eight, and I felt bad that the audience didn’t get 10." Although there were speculations that this was because Costner was determined to complete his passion project, 'Horizon: An American Saga,' he disclosed that this wasn't the case.

The Emmy winner stressed, "There were no scripts. I said, 'Look, if you want to end this elegantly, the best I can do is give you a week. And if you can figure out a storyline…' And they took that and a source on their side spun that into, well, he only wants to work a week for a whole season." Costner also blamed the production team for his being unemployed for '14 months'— this despite him allegedly having prioritized time for the Western drama. He also disclosed that filming was constantly delayed due to unnecessary format changes made by Paramount and 101 Studios. 

He asserted, "I made 'Yellowstone' the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong. I did not initiate any of those things. They did." Costner added, "Paramount and 101 Studios mismanaged this. They had me for five, six, and seven. I agreed to do it. And then they steadily began changing their format." In June 2024, after months of speculation, Costner announced his departure from the show over differences with the management and creator Taylor Sheridan. He posted an update on Instagram marking the end of his commitment. Shortly after, Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter that he was 'disappointed' with the outcome. 

“It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it,” Sheridan said. The ace writer maintained that Costner was more interested in filming his directorial venture. “My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct,” Sheridan revealed. He further stated that the 'Molly's Game' actor was not satisfied with John Dutton's plotline in the series. Sheridan shared that “there were ongoing discussions to try to convince” Costner to shoot the remaining parts to give justice to his character's storyline. However, things didn't work out, and the decision to end the on-screen persona was made.