For anyone paying attention, Kevin Costner and “Yellowstone” seem to have been separated forever. After the actor, who plays rancher John Dutton, left the hit neo-Western series during its fifth-season hiatus, Costner, Paramount and series creator Taylor Sheridan engaged in a long-running smear contest. Others. For their part, the network and Sheridan said Costner's commitment to the “Horizon” story made it difficult to schedule the second half of the fifth season, while Costner said he had not even seen the script for the remaining episodes and did not I was going to do it. wait. When the cast and crew were ready to continue with their passion project.
“Yellowstone” was hampered by the Hollywood strikes in 2023, which, combined with the Costner debacle, delayed the series' Season 5B finale from November 2023 to November 2024. What's more, with Costner apparently out, Paramount appeared to be ending the series with 5B, leaving Sheridan in the difficult position of ending his show without his star. However, according to the cast and crew, Costner's departure from “Yellowstone” was never going to change the outcome. Sheridan had a plan for his program from the beginning and he was going to stick to it no matter what. To further complicate matters, it now appears that “Yellowstone” may be living in a post-Castner era. Kelly Reilly and Cole Houser are in talks to star in the show's sixth season.
In short, everything is a disaster. But what's really interesting is that in the months leading up to Season 5B's debut, which is now scheduled for November 10, 2024, Costner suddenly seemed more comfortable with his return, raising all sorts of questions about what direction he'll take. the program. .
Kevin Costner is not against returning as John Dutton
At the height of the feud between Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner, things got really heated. Costner says the whole “Yellowstone” debacle will have to go to court. The actor also noted that Sheridan's commitment to several “Yellowstone” spinoffs was delaying writing the main series, while the series creator suggested Costner's commitment to the “Horizon” films as a major issue. . None of this suggests the pair will form anytime soon, which makes Costner's latest comments a bit unusual.
The veteran star spoke to Entertainment Tonight about “Yellowstone” and called the show “an incredible piece.” [his] Life” before adding: “Who knows, sometimes things just turn around.” This follows similar comments from the actor. Costner will appear again in “Yellowstone” on the condition that he “feel comfortable” with her. It's a markedly different tone than the one the actor took during the show's intermission, especially since he told ET, “I didn't see that trail of dust coming toward me. But I'm always open to what I started. and five seasons [were] We have a lot to do. You know, I don't think the story is finished.”
This all sounds kind of positive, but it raises the big question of how Costner's return will play out, mainly because everyone expects John Dutton to die in season 5B.
How can John Dutton come back if he's dead?
At this point, it's unclear if “Yellowstone” season 5B will be the series' last. Although Paramount had previously confirmed that these episodes would be the final installments, when the trailer for 5B dropped, it did so without much fanfare. Normally, you'd expect the network to make a big deal out of the final episodes of “Yellowstone.” However, it all depends on whether Kelly Reilly and Cole Houser actually sign on for a sixth season. But if Kevin Costner is up for another round, hope Taylor Sheridan doesn't kill him off in the second half of season five.
Costner's contract with “Yellowstone” has a unique stipulation that insists that John Dutton receive a “moral death,” essentially protecting the man's honor while Sheridan kills the boy. However, even if that happens, many fans expected Dutton to leave Bay in season 5B, but if Costner's story is truly “unfinished,” as the actor claimed, does that mean he'll survive the second half of season five? ?
Frankly, all of this positivity from Costner seems a little late. “Yellowstone” season 5B is filmed and ready to go, thanks to Paramount providing revised scripts that not even the cast had any idea how it would all end. The conspiracy goes to extreme lengths to stop the leak. If Sheridan had written the damn thing during the height of his bitter feud with Costner, I can't imagine Dutton would have made it out alive, especially if Sheridan, as he said before, only watched the show for five seasons. With “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” performing poorly at the box office, perhaps Costner is testing the waters to see if Sheridan and co. will take him back. For now, however, it seems more likely that John Dutton is a Conner, and there's not much anyone can do about that at this point.
