Kevin Costner reveals whether he’ll return to ‘Yellowstone’
Former Yellowstone star Kevin Costner, who left the hit Paramount+ series under a dark cloud, has now discussed a possible return.
Costner left the programme midway through the fifth season due to other commitments. The Hollywood actor had asked the production team to ease his filming schedule for the second half of his final series on the show to allow him to work on his four-part film series Horizon. However, his request angered the producers, and he departed Yellowstone.
The second part of the fifth season is set to premiere later this year and will not include Costner. He has been open about his frustration about being left out of the upcoming set of episodes, even threatening to take Paramount to court.
Last September, while testifying during a child support hearing amid his divorce from Christine Baumgartner, Costner said: “It’s a little disappointing that [it’s the] number one show on television [and] I’m not participating. I’ll probably go to court over it.”
He also said of his departure: “I couldn’t help them anymore. We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons [and] there were issues with the creative.”
While the fifth season of Yellowstone looks set to be the last, Costner would be willing to return under the right set of circumstances despite the previous disagreement with Paramount.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Costner said of a possible return” “I’d like to be able to do it but we haven’t been able to … I thought I was going to make seven [seasons] but right now we’re at five.”
The Dancing with Wolves star added: “So how it works out — I hope it does — but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on. Maybe it will. Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I’d love to do it.”
Whether Costner will be able to determine his character’s storyline could prove to be a major stumbling block, but if it was up to him, he knows exactly how he wants the series to play out for John Dutton.
He explained: “(Dutton) needs to be proactive in what happens and I’ve kind of had my own fantasy how (the story) might be. But that’s Taylor’s (showrunner Taylor Sheridan) thing. I said as much to him a while back. I had thoughts how it could happen, but we just have to see.”
Although Costner still holds out hope for one day returning to the ranch for another season of Yellowstone, Horizon is currently his focus. The passion project is written, directed by and stars Costner. After striking a distribution deal with Warner Bros and New Line, the actor set out for Utah, where he shot the first two parts back to back.
Costner has been working on the films since 1988, but it has taken until now for Horizon to become a reality. Before landing distribution, Costner remortgaged his property in Santa Barbara, California, to shoot the first two movies, and self-financed the project.
“I’ve mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house,” the actor previously told Deadline.”
He continued: “But I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a fucking conniption fit. But it’s my life, and I believe in the idea and the story…At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller, and I went ahead and put my own money into it. I’m not a very good businessman, so, scratch your head, if you will. I don’t know why, but I have not let go of this one”.
The first instalment of Horizon: An American Saga is set for release on June 28th, watch the trailer below.
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