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Kevin Costner will leave Yellowstone when “it’s not right” anymore

Kevin Costner thought that Yellowstone would just be one season to begin with, but five seasons later, it's still going strong. He has no plans to leave soon.

Kevin Costner in Yellowstone

The fifth season of Yellowstone sees Kevin Costner’s John Dutton swapping the horse saddle for the podium, as he’s now the governor of Montana. The Taylor Sheridan series has grown massively in popularity since its debut in 2018, and has spawned an entire universe of spin-offs.

After decades of Hollywood stardom, Costner is pragmatic about the success of Yellowstone, and seems as though he can take it or leave it. He also has his own passion projects that he wants to bring to fruition, including an epic western that he’s been working on for 15 years.

Speaking to USA Today, Costner says; “I was only going to do one season, but I’ve done this many. I give everything I can to what I’m doing. But the moment I feel that it’s not right, I’m just going to step away.” He adds; “I’m not naïve; I’m aware that it’s a No. 1 show. You’re always happy when something’s received well. I’ve had things that I thought were pretty good that weren’t exactly hits. But you cannot be driven by the ratings; you just appreciate that there’s an audience.”

Horizon is a sprawling look at the settlement of the American West (with 170 speaking parts) that Costner has been thinking about for the last 15 years. “And it was time for me to do it.” Taking a page out of James Cameron’s Avatar book, Costner has plans to make it a four-part movie series, with the first hitting theatres next year. Costner directed the multi-Oscar winning Dances with Wolves in 1990, and his last directorial effort was 2003’s Open Range.

Yellowstone has expanded with prequel series 1883, 1923, and the sideways spin-off 6666. It looks as though there’s no stopping Taylor Sheridan in his pursuit of the American west.

While we wait for the various spin-offs to get underway, check out our guide to the best drama series.