‘Yellowstone’ Reveals First Look Photos of Season 5 Return Without Kevin Costner

Yellowstone revealed the first photos from its long-awaited back half of season five.

The images include shots of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), Wes Bentley (Jaime Dutton) and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham).

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Notably absent, of course, is the show’s former star Kevin Costner, who played patriarch John Dutton, and excited the show after the show’s fifth season hiatus partly to focus on his Horizon film saga. Costner is still contractually an executive producer on the show, however.

“I gave this thing five seasons,” Costner explained to Hollywood Reporter when he confirmed he wasn’t coming back. “I was really happy to do it. And I don’t need drama. So, let’s just take that drama away, let’s take the guessing [away]. The fans have been way too good to me. And my obligation is to go on and continue to make things that mean something to them.” The actor also added, “It was a necessary decision to say, ‘Hey, OK, I don’t want to really talk about this anymore. It’s time to move on.'”

L-R: Kelsey Asbille as Monica Long, Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton, Luke Grimes as Kacey Dutton
L-R: Kelsey Asbille as Monica Long, Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton, Luke Grimes as Kacey Dutton
L-R: Finn Little as Carter and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler
L-R: Finn Little as Carter and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler
L-R: Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater and Mo Brings Plenty as Mo
L-R: Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater and Mo Brings Plenty as Mo
L-R: Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton and Wendy Moniz as Governor Perry on episode 509 of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone
L-R: Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton and Wendy Moniz as Governor Perry on episode 509 of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone

The photos come amid reports that Reilly and Hauser are in talks to potentially extend the Paramount Network hit beyond a fifth season.

There is also an upcoming Yellowstone sequel series, The Madison, which will star Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Fox. The show is described as “a heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.”

Yellowstone returns on Sunday, Nov. 10.

The show “chronicles the Dutton family who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect – the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders – an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.”

Best of The Hollywood Reporter