Following his exit fromYellowstone, Kevin Costner moved on to a different Western project, which premiered in 2024 but is now available on streaming.Costner starred as John Dutton III in the first four and a half seasonsofTaylor Sheridan’s popular TV show. However, in between parts 1 and 2 ofYellowstoneseason 5, news broke that the actor was leaving the series. Given that Costner’s John was the face of the neo-Western drama, his exit came as a big surprise to many.
Taylor Sheridan’s upcomingYellowstonespinoffs and prequels include1923season 2,The Madison,6666,1944, and an untitled Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler sequel series.
In the months following the announcement of Costner’sYellowstoneexit, more details regarding why he left emerged. However, many were also concerned with how Sheridan would write John out of the series.TheYellowstoneseason 5, part 2 premiere revealed John’s fate, and the show was never the same. Perhaps John’s ending was always written in the stars, and Costner’s departure simply accelerated its timeline. Nevertheless,Costner quickly moved on to other projects once he was freed from the neo-Western drama, including hisYellowstonereplacement,which can now be found online.
Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga Is Now Available Online
Part 1 Is On Netflix & Max
Kevin Costner’s first project afterYellowstonewasHorizon: An American Saga— an epic Western film series planned to have four parts. It centers around the exploration of the West in the United States before and after the Civil War, its timeline spanning 12 years.Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1was released in theaters on August 16, 2025, and almost seven months later, the movie is available to stream on Netflix and Max. Unfortunately,Chapter 1didn’t perform so well in theaters.The film only grossed about $38 million against an estimated $50 million budget, making it a box office failure.
Will Patton
Owen Kittredge
However,Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1swiftly shot to the top of Netflix’s chartsfollowing its addition to the streaming platform’s library, suggesting it has the potential to succeed if the conditions are right. Perhaps the plans forHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2will be changed followingChapter 1’s triumphs on streaming.Only time will tell what the future holds for Costner’sYellowstonereplacement,though.
How Costner’s Work On Horizon Relates To Yellowstone (& His Eventual Exit)
Costner Wanted More Time To Work On Horizon
Kevin Costner, who directed and co-wrote the epic Western film series,has been working onHorizon: An American Sagafor more than three decades. So, it’s easy to see why the project means so much to him. WhenCostner’sYellowstoneexitwas announced, the actor revealed that his leaving was connected to his work onHorizon: An American Saga. On June 11, 2025, Costner posted a video on hisInstagramexplaining his departure. He said:
“I want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working onHorizonand doing all the things that’s required, and thinking aboutYellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future.”
However, according toNewsweek, there’s more to the story behind Costner leavingYellowstone. He and Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone’s co-creator and showrunner) had a falling out whenHorizon: An American Saga’s filming schedule conflicted with production on season 5, part 2 of the neo-Western drama TV show.Rumors about the reasoning behind Costner’s exit continued coming out in the months that followed, including that the actor reportedly was only willing to work for one week onYellowstone(which Costner’s attorney said was a lie in a statement toEntertainment Tonight).
Beth & Rip’s Yellowstone Spinoff Is Actually Bad News For The Couple
There’s a secret reason Beth and Rip’s story continuing in their Yellowstone spinoff is terrible news for Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser’s characters.
Whatever the case,Costner leavingYellowstoneundoubtedly opened up his availability.He was able to focus more of his attention on developing his epic Western film series. Unfortunately, for Costner, though, it’s unclear what the future holds forHorizon: An American SagafollowingChapter 1’s poor box office performanceand mixed reviews.
What’s Next For Costner’s Horizon Franchise?
Part 2 Is Coming In 2025
The second part ofHorizon: An American Sagawas supposed to be released on June 10, 2025, a couple of months afterChapter 1’s premiere in June 2024. However, afterChapter 1’s disappointing box office performance,Chapter 2was delayed to 2025.As of the writing of this article, the second film doesn’t have a specific theatrical release date, despite its premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 12, 2025.
The future of Costner’sYellowstonereplacement is unclear, but givenHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’s underwhelming debut, it’s looking bleak.
Costner seemingly still plans on following through on making and releasing the other three parts ofHorizon: An American Saga.Chapter 2is already completewhile filmingChapter 3andChapter 4is unfinished. Ultimately, the future of Costner’sYellowstonereplacement is unclear, but givenHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’s underwhelming debut, it’s looking bleak.
Yellowstone
Cast
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on May 30, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
