'Yellowstone' Star Luke Grimes Speaks on Kevin Costner's Exit

Yellowstone is preparing for the beginning of the end and Luke Grimes is opening up about co-star Kevin Costner's exit. The two have been on the Paramount Network Western drama since its first season, with Grimes portraying Kayce Dutton and Costner as Kayce's father, John Dutton III. Ahead of the final batch of episodes of its fifth and final season, it was revealed that Costner won't be back to film the remaining episodes.

In an interview with Independent in the U.K., Grimes had nothing but love and understanding for his on-screen dad. He said, "Whatever happened there is unfortunate if it's changed anything about how the show was going to unfold. I know [Costner] got busy with his movies that were like passion projects [the newly announced Horizon: An American Saga, for one]. At a certain point, you gotta do what you gotta do, man; you gotta do what you love."

While Costner was still reportedly negotiating a return to Yellowstone to finish off the final season, he previously broke his silence on his exit, sharing in court that there "were issues about creative. I tried to break the log jam. They walked away." It sounds like Costner won't be returning after all, but since he does have some other stuff he's working on, it sounds like it may have been for the better. It is going to be interesting to see how they write out John Dutton, but knowing that Kayce isn't too upset about it does make it a little better.

Filming for the remainder of Season 5 should be kicking off sometime in May, so hopefully, that will help make time go by a lot faster. The first part of Season 5 completed airing in early 2023, with the second part set to premiere in November. The wait is definitely a long one but will surely be worth it, with or without John Dutton III. At the very least, there are a lot to look forward to from Kevin Costner. It may not be Yellowstone, but it will still be entertaining.

In the meantime, fans will just have to theorize just how John Dutton III will be written out in these final episodes. The possibilities are endless. There might also be a chance that Costner could still return, even if it's just briefly. Tune in this November for the premiere of the second part of the final season of Yellowstone on Paramount Network.