Kevin Costner is the star of the hit show Yellowstone.
But Costner’s status for the show’s final episodes was up in the air.
And now Kevin Costner broke Yellowstone’s fans hearts with this terrible news.
Costner’s movie schedule looks like it will prevent him from filming Yellowstone finale
The final episodes of Yellowstone are believed to premiere in November.
Show creator Taylor Sheridan prepared to write Costner out of the series after the first half of the final season over not being able to come to contractual agreement with Costner.
Fans held out hope that Costner’s John Dutton character would be able to wrap up the storyline.
But those dreams appear dashed thanks to a new report from World of Reel’s Jordan Ruimy.
Costner took himself out of Yellowstone to film his multi-part Civil War-era epic Horizon: An American Saga, which chronicles the settlement of the American West.
The first two installments hit theaters in June and August.
But Ruimy reports Costner isn’t waiting to see if these movies prove profitable before filming parts 3 and 4.
Costner got the money to finance the conclusion of his saga and will get to work this summer on the conclusion.
“I’m now hearing from a source that Costner is not going to wait it out to see if the first two films are a success, as he will be returning to Southern Utah this summer to film the third and fourth installments. It seems to be a done deal. Production is said to go on until December. That’s a whopping six months of shooting,” Ruimy reported.
“Costner actually spent $24 million of his own money to fund the first two films, both of which are rated R. My best guess is that some of it was Saudi money. In addition, Costner mortgaged 10 acres of his $50 million, oceanfront Santa Barbara property to ensure proper funding for the project. To call these films a risk would be an understatement. The last time Costner directed a film was 2003’s “Open Range,” Ruimy wrote.
Book on Yellowstone looks closed
Costner filming from the summer through December eliminates any chance of him getting on the set for Yellowstone.
These films are a passion project for Costner having spent 30 years in development, so it’s understandable that Costner wants to get these movies made and finish his story.
In recent weeks, Costner left the door open to a Yellowstone return.
“I’d like to be able to do it but we haven’t been able to … I thought I was going to make seven [seasons] but right now we’re at five. So how it works out — I hope it does — but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on. Maybe it will. Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I’d love to do it,” Costner told Entertainment Tonight.
But whatever sense of optimism about Costner returning for the last episodes of Yellowstone dissipated once it became clear Costner would be able to complete the movies he put nearly half his life into getting made.