Following his exit from Yellowstone, 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 seasons of Taylor Sheridan’s popular TV show. However, in between parts 1 and 2 of Yellowstone season 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 upcoming Yellowstone spinoffs and prequels include 1923 season 2, The Madison, 6666, 1944, and an untitled Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler sequel series.

In the months following the announcement of Costner’s Yellowstone exit, more details regarding why he left emerged. However, many were also concerned with how Sheridan would write John out of the series. The Yellowstone season 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 his Yellowstone replacement, which can now be found online.

Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga Is Now Available Online

Part 1 Is On Netflix & Max

However, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 swiftly shot to the top of Netflix’s charts following its addition to the streaming platform’s library, suggesting it has the potential to succeed if the conditions are right. Perhaps the plans for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 will be changed following Chapter 1‘s triumphs on streaming. Only time will tell what the future holds for Costner’s Yellowstone replacement, 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 on Horizon: An American Saga for more than three decades. So, it’s easy to see why the project means so much to him. When Costner’s Yellowstone exit was announced, the actor revealed that his leaving was connected to his work on Horizon: An American Saga. On June 20, 2024, Costner posted a video on his Instagram explaining his departure. He said:

“I want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone, 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.”

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 leaving Yellowstone undoubtedly 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 for Horizon: An American Saga following Chapter 1‘s poor box office performance and mixed reviews.

What’s Next For Costner’s Horizon Franchise?

Part 2 Is Coming In 2025

The second part of Horizon: An American Saga was supposed to be released on August 16, 2024, a couple of months after Chapter 1‘s premiere in June 2024. However, after Chapter 1‘s disappointing box office performance, Chapter 2 was 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 September 7, 2024.

Costner seemingly still plans on following through on making and releasing the other three parts of Horizon: An American Saga. Chapter 2 is already complete while filming Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 is unfinished. Ultimately, the future of Costner’s Yellowstone replacement is unclear, but given Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1‘s underwhelming debut, it’s looking bleak.