Yellowstone season five part two could be completely without John Dutton star Kevin Costner.
According to Deadline, the next instalment of the sweeping Western drama has pencilled in a spring 2024 production start date, as the winter snows in Montana need to have melted away first.
Despite suggesting that anything is possible, the publication reports there are currently no plans in place for Costner to return for the final chapter of the series, following his departure from the franchise earlier this year.
Back in June, Yellowstone mastermind Taylor Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter of Costner’s rumoured clash with Paramount: “My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct. He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with Yellowstone.
“I said: ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],’ which we did.”
He continued: “I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone. But once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting.
“He took a lot of this on the chin and I don’t know that [he] deserves it. His movie seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [the movie is] worth it and that it’s a good one.”
One such issue reportedly revolved around the arc of Costner’s rancher throughout season two.
“There was a time in season two when he was very upset and said the character wasn’t going in the direction he wanted,” Sheridan recalled. “I said, ‘Kevin, you do remember that I told you this is essentially The Godfather on the largest ranch in Montana? Are you that surprised that the Godfather is killing people?’
“What he’s clung to is [Dutton’s] commitments to his family and way of life. Dutton’s big failing is not evolving with the times — not finding different revenue streams [for the ranch]. Kevin felt season two was deviating from that, and I don’t know that he was wrong. In season three, we steered back into it.”
Yellowstone season 5 part 2 will air on the Paramount Network in November 2024.
