Kevin Costner Envisioned a Different Finale for Yellowstone

Kevin Costner Just Can’t Quit the Old West

Kevin Costner seems forever tied to the American frontier. Though he’s tried to move on from Yellowstone to focus on his passion project—the four-part film saga Horizon—his journey through the West may be reaching its final chapter.

“Horizon feels like thirty-five years ago,” Costner joked in a recent interview, after being asked about the 35th anniversary of Dances with Wolves. But his mind remains firmly set on Horizon. “Part Two is done, and I hope to make Parts Three and Four,” he said. Whether those final installments will ever materialize, however, remains uncertain.

In pursuing Horizon, Costner walked away from one of his most iconic roles: John Dutton in Yellowstone. He reportedly left the hit Paramount series due to a scheduling conflict and disagreements over contracts. In his absence, creator Taylor Sheridan killed off his character off-screen, disrupting the planned arc of the fifth season.

Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, Costner still speaks fondly of the show that earned him a Golden Globe. “It’s modern-day ranching,” he said. “Yellowstone captured that so beautifully. I mean, it’s a bit of a soap opera—we should all be in prison,” he joked.

Though the Duttons won’t be seeing a jail cell, the saga will live on through multiple spin-offs currently in development. And while his character is gone, there’s always the chance Costner could return in flashbacks—something fans (and likely Paramount) would welcome.

“I loved the show,” he said last summer. “I liked the people, I liked what it was about, and I love that world. I’ve always felt it might be interesting to come back and finish the mythology of this modern-day family. And if that happens, I’d be open to it—if I agree with how it’s being done.”