‘Yellowstone’ Doesn’t Want Kevin Costner Back for Finale

Kevin Costner made headlines over much of 2023 due his standoff with the producers of Yellowstone, which resulted in his departure from the smash hit show before it wrapped. A new report states that Costner wants back in for the show’s upcoming final episodes — but the show may not want him back.

Puck News originally broke the news that Costner was involved in a contract dispute with the show over the schedule for filming the second half of Season 5. His departure led Paramount to decide to end Yellowstone early after the end of the upcoming second half of Season 5, scrapping a planned sixth season in favor of launching a new sequel that Matthew McConaughey is rumored to star in.

Puck News now reports that one of Costner’s reps is still trying to negotiate for the Oscar winner to return to wrap his character, but Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is very happy with the new way he’s written the end of the show without Costner’s participation. Filming on the final episodes is set to begin in a few months, with the episodes slated to start airing in November of 2024, so there’s a very narrow window for any potential agreement.

However, some signs do point to the possibility. Giving testimony during his divorce in 2023, Costner said on the stand that he had a pay-or-play contract in place for the second half of Season 5 worth $12 million — meaning the network would owe him that money even if he did not appear. He said at the time that he would “probably go to court” over the matter, but no such lawsuit has emerged, leaving open the possibility that he will return for the final episodes in exchange for his planned payout.

Yellowstone also appeared to offer Costner a public olive branch in January, after a year of neither party acknowledging the other on social media. The show’s official Instagram account wished him a happy birthday, and the star responded.

“Thanks guys,” he replied alongside a cowboy hat emoji.

The announced end of Season 5 allowed an interesting plot twist planned for Season 6 to emerge. In November of 2023, singer Cory Asbury shared that he was cast to play a long-lost Dutton brother, but that was destroyed with the show’s new ending.