Yellowstone Officially Ending With Season 5 After Kevin Costner Exit Confirmed
The hit Paramount+ Western series Yellowstone is confirmed to be ending with season 5, just 2 days after the exit of star Kevin Costner was announced.
Yellowstone is officially going to end this season. The hit neowestern series following the Dutton family defending their Montana ranch from interested parties is currently on hiatus in the middle of season 5, which has six more, currently unfilmed, episodes set to air this November. Production has been delayed by behind-the-scenes drama and a disagreement between star Kevin Costner and creator Taylor Sheridan, which culminated in the announcement earlier this week that the star would be exiting the series completely after season 5.
Per Deadline, it has now been officially confirmed that Costner’s exit also means the series will be ending after Yellowstone season 5 part 2. However, the November release date may not come to pass considering the fact that Costner has begun production on the second part of his directorial project Horizon, which had been one source of the show’s scheduling issues. There is also no word on how the ongoing writers’ strike could potentially impact production.
The Yellowstone Universe Isn’t Going Anywhere
Although the flagship series may be ending, by no means does that indicate that the Yellowstone universe is closing up shop. For one thing, there are a variety of spinoffs that are either currently streaming or in development, following various branches of the Dutton family. This started with 1883
Additionally, the 1883 sequel 1923, which premiered last year with Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford in the leads, will be getting a second season coming soon. Also in the works are the spinoffs 1944 and 6666 (named after the rival Four Sixes Ranch), plus a sequel series to the Yellowstone flagship show. It is unknown what members of the Yellowstone season 5 cast will reprise their roles in that series, but it’s likely that any who want to keep going in this universe will find a happy home there.
If anything, this Yellowstone end is likely something producers have been desiring for some time. The show, which airs on The Paramount Network, is currently the only title in the franchise not streaming on Paramount+ because it is locked into a contract with Peacock, which was created before Paramount+ even existed. Though Costner’s exit likely rushed this decision, it has probably been in the works for some time.
