'Yellowstone' Hit With More Chaos, Kevin Costner's Fate Appears Sealed

The chaos simply never ends when it comes to "Yellowstone" and Kevin Costner.

The hit neo-Western series about a ranching family in Montana is set to return in November to close out the fifth and final season.

Fans can't wait to find out how the story of the Duttons ends after first being introduced in 2018. It's been a long time coming, and it better meet expectations.

There's no bigger question on fans' minds than whether or not Kevin Costner will return as John Dutton. There's been nonstop drama surrounding his status on the show created by Taylor Sheridan.

The prevailing belief has been for a while that Costner is done and not returning. It now appears that is the case…..despite some late game antics from the actor's team.

It appears likely "Yellowstone" will end without Kevin Costner returning.

Matthew Belloni of Puck reported Sunday that "one of Costner’s reps is still asking that Sheridan bring him back to finish his arc," but it doesn't appear like Sheridan is overly interested.

"Sheridan is said to be super happy with how he currently wraps up the show—without Costner—and with shooting set for this spring and summer, the clock is ticking on any reconciliation," Belloni reported.

Translation: Sheridan has his ending and doesn't sound interested in entertaining Kevin Costner's last ditch effort to get back on the show.

If Belloni's reporting is accurate, it's not hard to understand Sheridan's position. At some point, you have to cut ties and move on.

It appears that's the position Sheridan is in, and that means it'd be a miracle if Costner returned at this point.

Other stars want raises.

The drama with Costner appears to be done isn't the only drama surrounding the show. Belloni reported Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser - and to a much lesser extent Luke Grimes - want raises to return. Reilly reportedly wants $1.2 million after initially asking for $1.5 million, and Hauser wants an increase to $1.25 million from the $700,000 he currently makes to return. 

That would possibly include a possible spin-off led by Matthew McConaughey, which he hasn't signed onto yet. McConaughey is waiting to see a script for the long rumored spin-off set in the present timeline, according to Belloni.

So, not only is Matthew McConaughey not committed to the series, but the stars want HUGE money to return. I guess we can possibly rule out Beth and Rip dying if they're in negotiations for the spin-off.

Is Kevin Costner officially done with "Yellowstone"? (Photo Credit: Cam McLeod/Paramount Network)

As always, "Yellowstone" can't seem to not have plenty of problems behind the scenes. You can simply set your watch to it at this point. Above all else, I hope the final episodes give fans the kind of ending we deserve after committing years of our lives to the show. Anything less would be incredibly disappointing. Let me know what you think will happen at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.