Yellowstone director says Kevin Costner is ‘still central’ in final episodes despite exit

Either way, John Dutton will always be the patriarch of the Dutton family.

As the premiere of the long-awaited final episode of Yellowstone approaching, Christina Voros, who directed four of the six remaining episodes, sheds new light on how Kevin Costner’s character will remain a part of the family’s history despite the actor’s exit from the show.

“His presence is integral,” Voros shared The Hollywood Reporter of how Costner’s character affects the final episodes.

While she didn’t reveal much about what that means — “I think saying more than that would potentially compromise all the work that went into editing the scripts,” she said — Voros reaffirmed that “he’s the patriarch , and his presence is an essential component of the story.”

“John Dutton is still central.”

Production on the final episodes of the popular Western series began in May, after months of back-and-forth between Coster, 69, and creator Taylor Sheridan.

Costner told PEOPLE he was “disappointed” by the narrative that emerged about his and Sheridan’s creative differences regarding the show, saying the real reason behind his exit was because “the scripts weren’t there.”

“There was a moment when that show for me stopped for 14 months… That’s the fact. I could have done a lot of things in that time, but I didn’t realize that (stopping) was going to happen,” he said .

“I was disappointed that no one on their side…ever came forward to defend what it was that I actually did for them. There came a moment where I thought, ‘Wow, when is someone going to say something about, what have I done versus what haven’t I done?”

In June, the actor confirmed that he would not be returning to the show in an Instagram post, calling Yellowstone a “beloved series that I love.”

“I just realized that I won’t be able to continue Season 5b or into the future,” he said in a video. “It was something that really changed me. I loved it and I know you loved it. I just wanted to let you know I’m not going back.”

Despite all the back and forth, the cast is happy with how the series is coming to an end. This was told by Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton Weekly entertainment last month that he “couldn’t be happier” about the final.

“I think it’s a perfect ending for the show for each character,” he said. “It’s just a testament to what a great writer Taylor is, and it’s a very, very deep, beautiful ending. I can’t wait to sit down and watch it someday.”

His co-star Kelly Reilly, who plays his sister Beth Dutton, echoed his praise, saying the final episode’s “scripts were so good.”

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The last episodes of Yellowstone season 5 premieres on Sunday 10 November at 8pm ET/PT on Paramount Network.