Yellowstonefans may have to wait a bit longer for the conclusion ofseason 5.
During a panel at PaleyFest on Saturday, Paramount president of development and production Keith Cox steered clear of providing a clear update about when production on the second half of season 5 will resume.
Cox remained optimistic thatKevin Costner, who playsYellowstonepatriarch John Dutton, will be back despite reports he is considering exiting the show. “What I can say is our star, the face of our show and the executive producer, are very confident he’s going to continue with our show,” said Cox.
Cast members from “Yellowstone” attend a panel at the Paley Center.Brian To for the Paley Center
Yellowstonewas expected toreturn with new episodes in summer 2023, but Paramount and a representative for Costner did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the production status of the show or the 68-year-oldGolden Globe winner’s place on it.
The news comes after Costner, series creatorTaylor Sheridanand severalYellowstonecast members were noticeablyabsent from the Paleyfest eventon Saturday.
Yellowstone/Youtube
The panel took place following a Deadline report thatMatthew McConaugheywasin talks to starin a spinoff of the popular Peacock series, as Costnerconsidered an exit to instead focuson directing and starring in the upcoming Western filmHorizon.
When asked at PaleyFest if he thinks the show could continue in a world without Costner’s character, Lucas — who plays Costner’s character John Dutton in flashbacks — said that he thinks Sheridan has “always planned on at some point, having Kevin die and having multiple characters die.”
“And so you know that that’s just … the evolution of what the ranch is. That’s why when you see the cemetery and you see the names of Elsa and you see the names of Jacob and you see these names, I think it’s of course going to evolve and change,” explained Lucas, 51. “And I think that’s what hopefully people will really like as it goes.”
Kevin Lynch for Paramount Network
Dawn Olivieri, who plays Sarah Atwood onYellowstone, also opened up to PEOPLE about Costner’s future on the series, sharing, “I’ve already been killed once. I’m coming back to life. It happens to the best of us. I don’t know what’s going to happen with him. I hope I get the chance to work with him. I do.”
She added, “But I can’t put money on Taylor writing something that we all hope that happens. If you hope [for] something, you might want to bet that he’ll write the opposite.”
In February, a spokesperson for Paramount Network told PEOPLE that they hoped to have both McConaughey, 53, and Costner be part of theYellowstonefamily. “Kevin Costner is a big part ofYellowstone, and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come.”
McCarthy also toldTHRthat the franchise “wouldn’t be what it is today without Kevin, and we hope that that stays for a long time to come.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Yellowstoneis currently streaming on Peacock.
source: people.com
