How Yellowstone handled Kevin Costner’s exit in the season 5B premiere
Kevin Costner.
Biggest+Yellowstone finally returned for season 5B after a nearly two-year hiatus – and fans finally learned its fate Kevin Costner‘s character, John Dutton.
Spoilers for Yellowstone ahead.
In the Yellowstone season 5B premiered on Sunday, November 10, John Dutton met his untimely end. Although police initially believed he had died by suicide, the episode seemed to indicate that Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) was behind his murder. Towards the end of the episode she informs Jamie (Wes Bentley) that she was indeed involved.
When the first half of season 5 ended in January 2023, John had become governor of Montana, much to the chagrin of his son Jamie, who tried to depose him. At the end of episode 8, John and his daughter, Beth (Kelly Reilly), decided it was time to take Jamie to the train station, i.e. kill him.
Costner, 69, officially confirmed his Yellowstone is leaving in June after months of speculation about his future with the show. The first half of season 5 concluded in January 2023 and the second half was set to premiere in November of that year, but a month after the 5A finale aired, reports circulated that Costner was holding out on production due to a feud with co-creator. Taylor Sheridan.
While Sheridan, 54, and Costner both denied the rumors, Paramount Network confirmed in May 2023 that Yellowstone would end for good at the end of season 5. The network also announced a sequel series that was rumored at the time to star the film Matthew McConaughey. That series now seems to have become a thing of the past The Madisona spin-off with a leading role Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Vos And Patrick J Adams.
Costner has now turned his attention to the big screen, where he directs and acts Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1which premiered in June. Chapter 2 was originally scheduled to hit theaters in August, but the release date was postponed after disappointing box office sales Chapter 1.
Come on Horizon‘s release, Costner broke his silence about what happened behind the scenes, claiming he would have filmed more episodes of Yellowstone when the scripts were done.
“I gave them 25 of my days in November and December for this B thing [2022]. What they called 5B. The entire month of March [2023]”, said the Oscar winner Term in May. “I didn’t shoot 5B. There was no script. And then it imploded.”
According to Costner, he left the set Horizon to film season 5B, but he claimed that scripts were still not available for the final episodes.
“I left exactly when they wanted me to, and that made it difficult for me. It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B. They took another four days to complete the first eight episodes,” he claimed. “I left early to give them what they needed for a full eight, and I was sad that the crowd didn’t get a ten.”
The show’s production was further delayed by the twin WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year, which ended in September 2023 and November 2023, respectively.
Yellowstone boss Taylor Sheridan finally broke his silence on the rumored feud between him and Kevin Costner – and the writer claims they are on good terms. According to Sheridan, 53, Costner, 68, was ready to wrap up his time as John Dutton because he wanted to work on his upcoming Western epic, Horizon. “My last […]
Sheridan, meanwhile, has remained relatively quiet about the whole situation, but he hinted in June 2023 that he never intended for John Dutton to survive the series finale — but that he also wouldn’t kill off the character in retaliation for any drama outside the screen.
“I don’t do ‘f— you’ car crashes,” Sheridan said The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “Or [Dutton’s fate] is blown up [Costner’s] ego or insults are collateral damage that I don’t take into account when telling stories.”
Yellowstone airs on Paramount Network Sundays at 8pm ET.
