It has just been affirmed that Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard), lead actor in the series Yellowstone, will be departing from the show. According to Esquire, due to conflicting ideas between Costner and the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan (1883, Tulsa King), Costner will be departing from the franchise and may not return to film the second part of season five, which was slated to start in August, via Deadline.

Kevin Costner has been on the western themed show since 2018. However much tension between Costner and Sheridan has stemmed from differing opinions on film scheduling and on-set behavior. Esquire has reported rumors that Costner will allegedly only film for one to three weeks, leaving his fellow cast mates and crew members frustrated and confused about the next steps of production. 

Many fans worry about the course the show will take in terms of the story, considering that in January, the mid-season finale left off on a riveting cliffhanger. However, there are spin-offs under the Yellowstone title that are already greenlit that shall continue the story of the Dutton family and keep fans satisfied. Such series include an unnamed project with Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Magic Mike)and a second season of 1923, which tells the story of the 666 Ranch. 

Though Paramount wishes to finish the show by November of this year, it is still being determined if this is an achievable goal considering the WGA strike impacting film and TV productions all over the industry. The Yellowstone writers have written many variations of the remaining episodes with varying screen time of Kevin Costner’s character, according to Esquire. They added that Costner may not make an official comeback to the show unless he finds the scripts suitable.

A release date and further news in terms of the ending of the show still need to be clarified, and many wonder if the show will even be able to finish. Until any further confirmation from Paramount and Costner, the fate of Yellowstone remains unknown.