‘Yellowstone’ Co-Creator Taylor Sheridan ‘Disappointed’ By Kevin Costner’s Exit

Yellowstone showrunner Taylor Sheridan said that he is “disappointed” at actor Kevin Costner‘s departure from the show, saying “it truncates the closure of his character,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Costner, 68, plays John Dutton, the patriarch of a family of ranchers who deals with family drama as well as conflicts with Broken Rock Indian Reservation, Yellowstone National Park and land developers.

Paramount officially announced in May that the second half of Season 5 would contain the show’s final episodes. It was scheduled to air in November but now remains up in the air due to the ongoing Writers Guild strike.

Discussion around Costner’s exit started in February when reports stated that the star wanted to work fewer days. News then broke out that he would be leaving early due to “disagreements over shooting schedules.” But, talks are being held to bring Costner back to film scenes for the end of Dutton’s story.

Sheridan recalled that in his conversations with Costner, the actor talked about wanting to focus on his new film, Horizon: An American Saga, an epic Western film that he co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in. Three sequels have already been greenlit.

Sheridan voiced his support for Costner’s project, saying, “I sure hope [the movie is] worth it – and that it’s a good one.”

The showrunner also has a spinoff series starring Matthew McConaughey in development with plans to expand the Yellowstone universe.

Meanwhile, Costner is involved in a bitter divorce from his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, who refuses to move out of their $142 million California home. The actor now claims that he’s “homeless.”