After much speculation, Yellowstone star Kevin Costner has finally disclosed the reason behind his departure from the beloved western series. However, he also hinted that a return to the show may not be completely off the table.
During an appearance on The Today Show, Costner discussed his western epic Horizon: An American Saga and the topic of Yellowstone inevitably arose. In a candid conversation, the actor revealed his reasons for departing the show, explaining that he simply desired a more flexible work schedule.
(The conversation starts at 5:54 in the video at https://youtu.be/Skrb71uETuU?t=354.)
“After working for five years, I realized that I wanted to have more consistent employment rather than just once a year,”Costner stated. “There was a time when we lost a whole year, and I knew that couldn’t happen again. It ended up being more than a year.”
“I believed that I needed to be in a position to create the items. The materials had to be prepared on a strict schedule, but we were unable to meet those deadlines. After five years, I decided that I no longer wanted to continue in this way. However, I knew that if we were able to obtain the necessary resources, we could successfully complete the task and I would be willing to do it.”
Despite maintaining a relatively steady release schedule, Yellowstone did experience some significant delays. For example, there was a considerable gap of over a year between the Season 3 finale and the Season 4 premiere. Additionally, production for the second part of Season 5 was postponed for nearly a year due to a writer’s strike.
This seems to support some earlier allegations as well. Before, it was believed that conflicts in scheduling were the cause of the tension between Costner and Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone. However, this has never been verified.
Despite this, Costner is not completely abandoning the possibility of returning to Yellowstone. He mentioned that he would be open to the idea but did not go into detail about what would be necessary for it to happen.
“Costner expressed his strong support and admiration for the project, stating that it held great significance to him. He also mentioned his desire to return to it, but emphasized the importance of the right circumstances for all involved. For him personally, it is crucial that the circumstances are suitable.”
Despite not having a current release date, Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 does not mark the end of the franchise. A sequel series, titled 2024, is already in the works to continue the saga after Costner’s departure.
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