‘If the writing is there, I’ll be there’: Kevin Costner discusses his departure from Yellowstone and his possible return as John Dutton

Behind the scenes at Yellowstone, the drama continues. In a new interview DeadlineKevin Costner claims he was ready and willing to move forward with Yellowstone under the series contract, but that production was not ready on schedule.

Until last April, when he spoke briefly, Kevin Costner remained tight-lipped about his departure from the series. As he prepares to premiere the first installment of his epic western Horizon: An American Saga at Cannes, the actor and director offers a much more detailed account of his conflict with the producers of Yellowstone, including its creator Taylor Sheridan.

difficult time

“I didn’t feel good last year because of the way they talked about it. It wasn’t true. Now I will talk a little about what was true“said Costner in an extensive interview with Deadline.

“I signed a contract for the fifth, sixth and seventh seasons. In February, after two to three months of negotiations, they signed. They wanted to redo that deal and instead of seasons six and seven, it was 5A and 5B and maybe a sixth. They did not reach them. Horizon was in the middle, but Yellowstone came first. I have introduced intervals. They kept moving the dates.“

His side of the story

Kevin Costner said he spent 43 days working on the first half of Yellowstone’s fifth season, which airs in late 2022. He left Horizon filming to film the second part of Yellowstone, but he said there were no scripts. is ready

“And then it exploded. For a year and a half, you read one version of what happened. I left my movie for season 5B. I left exactly when they wanted me to, which was difficult for me. Turns out they didn’t have the scripts for Season 5B. It took them another four days to complete the first eight episodes. I left early to give them what they needed to finish eight episodes, and I felt bad that the audience didn’t get 10. They didn’t have a script for the rest.“

Ready to go back

Afterward, Kevin Costner was set to return to production on Horizon — which he directed, co-wrote and starred in — but offered to work an extra week if necessary. According to him, this offer was distorted by reports that he “Nojust wish“Back to Yellowstone”only for one week“.

The actor says he’s unhappy with how things turned out, but he also says he’d return to the show if it came back. “If they have a lot more, maybe they can come back and do two very cool seasons.“- he said.

“Or they conclude if they have finished writing and I am satisfied. I’m open to it. But I was beaten because these people did not stand up for me and allowed crazy stories to spread. I’m not happy about it. But if the writing is there, I will be there.“

And what’s next?

Following the announcement that Yellowstone was nearing completion, Paramount Network (US broadcaster) announced that the 2024 series would be the first sequel to Yellowstone: A modern-day story set after the events of Yellowstone, which would continue to explore the Dutton dynasty. A family with new characters and locations, as well as some existing characters, according to a press release at the time.

The series was ordered directly. The network also announced another prequel, 1944, which would follow in the footsteps of the 1883 and 1923 miniseries, the latter of which was eventually renewed for a second season.