Big Sad News: Luke Grimes, Yellowstone’s Western God, Dies md20

Those who have been missing Kevin Costner on their TV screens must be sure to check out his latest project, which releases on December 9. In recent years, the veteran actor has attracted new generations of fans when he led the Yellowstone cast with his portrayal of stoic family patriarch John Dutton. However, Costner left Yellowstone prematurely amid a wave of controversy, departing before the end of the show’s fifth and final season.

This was to the detriment of Taylor Sheridan’s popular neo-Western series, and Yellowstone ended up tarnishing its own legacy by how it handled Costner’s departure. Though the Yellowstone franchise will continue to chug along with myriad spinoffs, Costner fans have been clamoring for him to return to the small screen, and next week they’ll get their wish.

Kevin Costner Returns To TV For An ABC Christmas Special On December 9

The John Dutton actor’s first television appearance since leading the cast of Yellowstone, Kevin Costner will host his own network TV Christmas special, Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas, which will air on ABC on Tuesday, December 9 at 8 PM EST. It will be a two-hour show telling the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus, with Costner serving as host.

Costner recently spoke about his upcoming Christmas special to People, saying, “It’s a story I think we all think we know. I think maybe some of us know a lot, maybe you know just a little, maybe you’re a believer, maybe you’re a cynic or maybe — hopefully — you’re just curious to find out the real story that’s behind the tradition.“

ABC started its holiday programming lineup on Thanksgiving weekend, with the network offering a slew of various festive specials through the month of December, including The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade. Popular ABC series like Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary will release holiday-themed episodes, while perennial holiday season movies like The Sound of Music and Home Alone will also air.

Kevin Costner Has Mostly Focused On Movie Projects After Leaving Yellowstone

While Yellowstone may have been Kevin Costner’s last television appearance, the actor and filmmaker certainly isn’t resting on his laurels. A major reason why Costner left Yellowstone in the first place was so he could focus on making his own Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga.

The Horizon saga is set to be a film franchise of at least four movies directed by and starring Costner, all exploring the expansion of the American West in the pre- and post-Civil War eras, and all set to be just under three hours in length. The first film, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 released widely on June 28, 2024 after having premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Unfortunately, the first Horizon movie underperformed both in terms of critical reception (51% on Rotten Tomatoes) and box office gross (

$38,835,702 worldwide). Though Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 has also been completed, and had its premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in September 2024, its release has been indefinitely delayed due to the box office failure of Chapter 1.

Though filming for Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3 commenced in May 2024, it reportedly stalled due to a lack of funding. However, in a June 2025 interview with ScreenRant, cast member Danny Huston revealed that much of Chapter 3 is “in the can,” so it looks like Costner may very well finish the third installment.

All these financial setbacks certainly don’t bode well for Chapter 4, but if anyone has the determination to get it made, it’s Costner. Of his co-star and director, Huston said, “…there’s no stopping him. He’s just unbelievable, and this dream of his is coming to life in a spectacular way. It’s just extraordinary what he does.“

While the future may be unclear for Horizon: An American Saga, one thing is for sure — Kevin Costner will be back on our screens on December 9, hosting Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas.