Yellowstone’s Last Episodes Have Finally Started Filming After Strike Delays, Kevin Costner Drama
Yellowstone’s last six episodes are finally officially filming after months of delays caused by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Paramount Network announced on Monday, May 20, that Yellowstone has “started production” on the second half of season 5, which was originally set to air last summer. “Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, the megahit series is currently filming in Montana,” read a press release from the network. “As previously announced, the series is slated to return in November.”
Yellowstone fans have been waiting more than a year for the return of the Dutton family, who were last seen on TV in January 2023. After the first half of season 5 wrapped up that month, rumors circulated that star Kevin Costner was holding up production because he was unhappy with the show’s filming schedule. His lawyer quickly denied those rumors, but Paramount confirmed in May 2023 that Yellowstone would end after the second half of season 5.
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes meant that the show couldn’t film for much of 2023, but after both work stoppages lifted in September and November, respectively, Yellowstone’s final episodes still didn’t seem to be in the works. Costner’s return also remained a big question mark as he claimed in court documents related to his divorce that he had completed his work on the show and wouldn’t be back for additional episodes.
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Costner, 69, recently broke his silence on the behind-the-scenes drama, slamming the “bulls–t rumors” that he was responsible for the production delays.
“I have taken a beating from those f–king guys and I know a lot of times where it’s coming from,” he told Deadline earlier this month. “I just elected not to get into that. But if you know me well enough, I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong. I did not initiate any of those things. They did.”
He also claimed that his new movie, Horizon: An American Saga, did not conflict with Yellowstone’s filming schedule, as previous reports suggested. “That’s not true,” he said. “That’s a lie. That’s not correct. They sent me away for seven days to go to London, to go to England during Covid, to do [promotion]. They made the contract, and they picked the days.”
According to Costner, the reason season 5B never filmed is because there was no script. “I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me. It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B. They needed four more days just to complete the first eight episodes,” he alleged. “I left early to give them what they needed to have a complete eight, and I felt bad that the audience didn’t get 10.”
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He then decided to offer “a week” of his time to Yellowstone to complete the season. “I really didn’t have that week to give them, but I said, I’ll do that,” he recalled. “And then they [spun that] into, I only wanted to work a week.”
Costner said he is “very open to coming back” to Yellowstone, but he didn’t specify whether any decisions have been made about the future of his character, John Dutton. When season 5A ended, John was governor of Montana, but his son Jamie (Wes Bentley) was about to call for his impeachment. His daughter, Beth (Kelly Reilly), was ready to murder Jamie — and John seemingly agreed that was the right course of action.
Yellowstone season 5B premieres on Paramount Network in November.
