Yellowstone star breaks silence on filming final season without Kevin Costner(Image: (Image: PARAMOUNT))

Yellowstone's Luke Grimes breaks silence on filming final season without Kevin Costner

The second half of Yellowstone's fifth season is set to premiere this Sunday, with the Dutton family saga coming to a dramatic conclusion

by · The Mirror

The highly anticipated second half of Yellowstone's fifth and likely final season is set to premiere this Sunday, drawing in millions of viewers.

Following a two-year hiatus, the concluding six episodes of the Dutton saga will bring the show to a close, wrapping up the ranch drama.

When the series first debuted in 2018, Hollywood star Kevin Costner took on the lead role of patriarch John Dutton, marking his first major television appearance.

However, amidst his divorce and a new film project, Horizon, he decided to leave the show before the end of season five.

Now, his co-star Luke Grimes, who plays John's son Kayce Dutton, has opened up about what it was like to return to the show without Costner at the helm, reports the Express.

Luke Grimes portrays John Dutton's son Kayce( Image: (Image: PARAMOUNT))

"Him not coming back felt like, 'Okay, we're going to have to land this plane now for real'," he shared.

Although fans were shocked by Costner's departure, Grimes claims that John's exit was always part of showrunner Taylor Sheridan's plan.

"I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story," he explained in an interview with People.

"That's always where it was headed is like, what do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone?"

Despite this, Grimes and the rest of the cast still had some reservations about returning without Costner's presence. "Whatever the circumstances may be, [it] definitely felt like, 'Okay, we're coming in for a landing.' It definitely felt different," he adds.

Despite Kevin Costner's dramatic exit from Yellowstone, buzz about the main storyline pressing on with new spin-offs is rife - including a contemporary series featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and another prequel set in 1944.

Moreover, Luke Grimes isn't entirely convinced that viewers have seen the last of the Dutton family saga after season five wraps up.

Kevin Costner announced his exit earlier this year( Image: (Image: PARAMOUNT))

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"Basically we're just going to see if Taylor has an idea that he gets excited about, and that's going to make all the difference here," he hinted.

Regardless, the Yellowstone universe shows no signs of slowing down, with plans to broaden the Western-themed franchise in the years ahead.

The upcoming sequel series starring Michelle Pfeiffer, titled The Madison, is slated for a 2025 release and will feature Patrick J. Adams and Beau Garrett, while Hollywood heavyweights Matthew McConaughey and Kurt Russell have been linked to the project.

Yellowstone season 5, part 2 premieres Sunday, November 10 on Paramount and the following Monday on Paramount+.