Yellowstone director Christina Voros explained why Kevin Costner’s character, John Dutton, will always be integral to the show even after the actor’s exit. As the show’s highly-anticipated finale episodes are approaching, Voros, who directed four of the six remaining episodes, reveals details of how Costner’s character influences the story in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“His presence is integral,” she told the outlet. However, she didn’t go into the details and said, “I think to say any more than that would potentially compromise all the work that went into redacting the scripts.” Vamos further clarified that Costner’s character will remain the Dutton family patriarch, and his essence will stay throughout the show. “John Dutton is still central,” she added.
The actor’s sudden decision to exit the show came as a shock. Although many believed that the reason was his differences with the creative team, Costner never confirmed it. He told PEOPLE he was “disappointed” by the narrative. He claimed that the real reason behind his exit was because “the scripts weren’t there.”
According to him, the show stopped for 14 months, and nobody took defense against him. “There came a moment where I thought, ‘Wow, when is somebody going to say something about what I have done versus what I haven’t done?'” she added. In June, the actor confirmed that he would not return to the “beloved series” in his Instagram post. He admitted that the show changed him. “I loved it, and I know you loved it. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning,” he added.
Despite the ups and downs, the cast is happy with how the series is coming to an end. Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton, told Entertainment Weekly that he “couldn’t be happier” about the show’s conclusion. “I think it’s a perfect ending for the show for every character,” he added. The final episodes of Yellowstone season 5 will premiere on Paramount Network on November 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
