Kevin Costner Officially Exits ‘Yellowstone’: “I Just Realized That I’m Not Going to Be Able to Continue”

Kevin Costner confirmed on social media Thursday that he will not be returning to Paramount+’s hit neo-Western drama Yellowstone, ending long-standing speculation about his future with the series.

In a video posted online, Costner addressed fans and explained his decision. “After a year and a half of working on Horizon and all the demands that come with it,” Costner said, referring to his ambitious Western film series Horizon: An American Saga, “and after much reflection on Yellowstone, a show I deeply cherish and know you all love, I’ve come to the realization that I won’t be able to continue into season five or beyond.” He expressed that Yellowstone “was something that really changed me,” adding, “I loved it, and I know you did too.”

Costner assured fans of his ongoing connection to them, stating, “I love the relationship we’ve built, and I’ll see you at the movies.”

The second half of Yellowstone Season 5 is scheduled to return on November 10, though the exact number of episodes has not been confirmed. Despite earlier hopes for his return, Costner’s involvement in Horizon, which is already in production, made his participation in the remaining episodes of Season 5 highly improbable.

Recently, Costner had hinted at the possibility of returning to Yellowstone if he agreed with his character’s final arc. “I loved the show,” he told People magazine. “I liked the people on the show. I liked what it was about. I love that world… I’ve always felt that it might be an interesting moment to come back and finish the mythology of this modern-day family. And if that happens, I would step into it if I agreed with how it was being done.”

Costner has been deeply invested in Horizon, a project he is directing, starring in, co-writing, and producing. The series of Western films, which Costner has heavily financed with his own money, represents a major personal and financial commitment. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving a four-and-a-half-minute standing ovation, despite the film’s early box office tracking suggesting a $12 million opening.

The first film in the Horizon series, which Costner financed to the tune of $38 million from his own wealth, hit theaters on June 28, with Chapter 2 set for release on August 16. Chapters 3 and 4 remain undated, though Costner has confirmed that some filming for Chapter 3 is complete and additional funding is needed to finish the project.

In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Costner discussed his motivations behind funding Horizon, stating, “I don’t want to let this pile of things I have — whether it’s money or possessions — become so important that it controls what I want to do. I’m going to keep enough things that my family’s going to be good… I’d like to have money, I’d like to have nice things, but I thought to myself, ‘That’s going to control me if I let it.’”