Summary

Kevin Costner officially exits
Yellowstone,
leaving fans disappointed in his decision to step away from his role.
Costner’s new project,
Horizon: An American Saga
, is a $100 million personal gamble that faces uncertain box office predictions.
Despite his love for
Yellowstone
, Costner’s focus is now on
Horizon
, a movie that he believes in even if early projections are not promising.

Kevin Costner is officially out of Yellowstone and will definitely not be returning to his role as John Dutton in the future. While Costner has frequently stated in recent interviews that he loves the show and would return if there was a way to make it happen, it looks like that is now definitely off the cards as he looks ahead to the release of Horizon: An American Saga this summer.

Yellowstone Release Date June 20, 2018 Seasons 5 Franchise Yellowstone Creator John Linson, Taylor Sheridan Expand

Addressing fans in a video on Instagram, Costner spoke about the impact the show has had on him, but ultimately confirmed that his time as the head of the Dutton family is at an end. In his statement, he said:

“Hi everyone. I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year-and-a-half of working on Horizon, doing all the things that that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue season 5b or into the future. It was something that really changed me, I loved it, and I know you loved it, and I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning. And I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop, and I’ll see you at the movies.”

Costner’s timing coincided with the announcement date for Yellowstone’s return for the final run of episodes, which begin on November 10. While the last few months have suggested that Costner had a small doubt about leaving the franchise behind completely, it looks like those niggles have now been stamped out under a cowboy boot.

Paramount Released Their Own Statement on Why Costner is Out of Yellowstone
New Line Cinema

Soon after Costner’s video went viral, Paramount released their own statement, clarifying exactly why the star wouldn’t be returning to Yellowstone for its final episodes. The statement read:

“Kevin has been a big part of
Yellowstone
‘s success. While we had hoped that we would continue working with him, unfortunately, we could not find a window that worked for him, all the other talent and our production needs in order to move forward together. We respect that Kevin has prioritized his new film series and we wish him the best.”

Kevin Costner is Taking One of Cinema’s Biggest Gambles With Horizon

Kevin Costner has always been at home with the Western genre, from the Oscar success of Dances with Wolves to his participation in four-and-a-half seasons of Yellowstone. With Horizon: An American Saga, the writer, director, and actor has been pushing things to the limit in order to bring his own epic vision to life – whatever the cost.

That cost is, in fact, a reported $100 million of his own money, which has been invested into the first two chapters of his planned four-part story. With that kind of personal belief, it would seem like Costner is certain that his movie will succeed, even if early box office predictions have stated otherwise.

The first opening weekend projections for Horizon – Chapter One suggest that the film will be chasing its budget for the length of its theatrical run thanks to a lowly $12-15 million domestic opening. That being said, predicting the way the box office reacts is becoming increasingly difficult, with many expected money-spinners falling short and the most unexpected films becoming huge hits.

Related Horizon Star Calls Kevin Costner’s Western Saga a ‘Fat Novel’ During an exclusive interview with MovieWeb, Danny Huston dishes about his work in the Westerns Horizon and The Dead Don’t Hurt.

Horizon will release its first installment on June 28, the same day as popular horror prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, which is already expected to take the top spot at the box office that weekend. The film is also releasing just before movies such as Despicable Me 4, viral horror movie sensation Longlegs, and the mighty Marvel juggernaut that is Deadpool & Wolverine, all of which will be looking to take their own chunk of the summer haul. How Costner’s Horizon – Chapter One fares among a packed schedule is something that he, and many others, will be watching carefully.