The idea didn’t come about by itself.
Even the best TV show can be completely ruined by behind-the-scenes drama, and Yellowstone fans know this firsthand. Even as the entire world of Taylor Sheridan fans tried to understand what exactly ended the relationship between him and his star, Kevin Costner, the more information that came out, the more confusing it became.
With both sides pointing fingers and trying to absolve themselves of any blame, the only thing Yellowstone fans know is that their favorite show is now ending in a shambles. Even worse, Dutton family patriarch John will likely meet his demise right on their screens. At least, that’s the fate Kevin Costner has chosen for his character.
Why Did Kevin Costner Leave Yellowstone?
The western star’s departure came as no surprise. Although it was first reported that he was dropping Yellowstone in favor of working on his own western trilogy, Horizon, that was only part of the truth. In reality, the actor was determined to make both projects work, but Yellowstone was much harder to navigate.
With constantly shifting shooting dates and the resulting loss of funding, Costner tried to propose various solutions, but according to the actors, his efforts were fruitless. In the end, there was one idea that might still happen in Yellowstone.
The actor opened up about his struggle to balance his presence for the second part of season 5 of the show in an interview with GQ.
“The scripts never came. They still haven’t shot it. As far as I know. The scripts never came. And so then at one point they said to me that we don’t have an ending or anything. I said, ‘Well, if you want to kill me, if you want to do something like that,’ I said, ‘I have a week before I start. I’ll do what you want to do,’” Costner said.
What does the future hold for John Dutton? No one really knows. While the actor is still open to returning to Yellowstone on his terms, there is no confirmation that Paramount Plus as a network and Taylor Sheridan personally would agree to meet them. Either way, chances are the show will have to end the life of Dutton’s patriarch to move on with a sequel spinoff.
If you are interested in seeing where the Yellowstone finale takes the beloved characters, keep an eye out for more news and behind-the-scenes updates.