Can Kevin Costner still return to Yellowstone? Actor gives encouraging update but with an "if"

Yellowstone and Kevin Costner's John Dutton were inseparable till public reports of a fallout between the show's creators and the Horizon star started emerging, effectively putting the final season of the acclaimed show in jeopardy. Not long back, fans almost gave up hope of ever seeing the actor don his Dutton costume again.

However, with a lot of things still unknown about Yellowstone season 5 part 2, which began production a couple of months back in Montana, fans still hope for a late miracle. But it will not be an easy way back for the actor who had a fallout, partly due to creative differences and partly due to scheduling, as per reports from various outlets.

Costner had also revealed that he had a contract for seasons five, six, and seven, but it was shortened to 5A and 5B. Ultimately, the disagreement grew to the extent that Kevin Costner did not want to continue with the role.

However, in a recent interview with TODAY, the actor revealed that he has not closed the door on the role yet and may as well return, but only if it is under "the right circumstances." This revelation may come as a relief to fans of the actor and Yellowstone, but there are still many things that have to align for it to happen.

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What did Kevin Costner say about his return to Yellowstone?

On June 17, 2024, Kevin Costner spoke to TODAY, where he said that he is open to the role of John Dutton in the final installment of Yellowstone. However, he could only do it under the circumstances that suit him.

Costner said:

"I've supported that thing, and I've loved it... It's been really important to me. I would love to go back under the right circumstances. I think that all of us want. For me, it really needs to be the right circumstances... Saying there's a chance, there's always a chance... I love the thing. You've got to be really clear about that."

Costner was the lead in Yellowstone for five seasons, with his troubles beginning during the filming of the fifth season. The first part of the series aired in 2022, and with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike in between, the second half of the series may premiere in 2025, with the shooting still underway.

Costner further said on TODAY why the possibility of returning to Yellowstone remains.

"Number one, I did it for five years, OK, and I want to work more than once a year... We lost an entire year at one point, and I thought, 'Well, that can't ever happen again.' It was well over a year... And I said, 'I just have to be in position to make the things.'"

He continued,

"There's a chance to do both of them, but material has to be ready at certain times, and we weren't able to do that."

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Kevin Costner most recently directed, starred in, and produced Horizon: An American Saga, an epic Western drama, which premiered with its first chapter at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024. The film reportedly received a standing ovation at the festival. It is slated for a theatrical premiered on June 28, 2024.

In another interesting development, the movie will be followed by a second chapter only weeks later, on August 16, 2024. The film will also have chapters three and four slated for a future date.