Yellowstone's highly anticipated Season 5 is set to launch in a few months, and according to series co-creator Taylor Sheridan, the show can't go forward in the new season without some of the characters dying.

The Kevin Costner-led modern-day Western follows the Dutton family, who own the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United Staes. Their conflict with all of the entities that border their land, as well as their interpersonal conflicts, provide the drama for the runaway hit show, which has grown into the most-watched drama on cable television over the course of four seasons since it launched in 2018.

Yellowstone's upcoming Season 5 is one of the most hotly anticipated television events of 2022, and in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sheridan basically flat-out states that viewers will have to say goodbye to more characters during the new season.

"If you look at everyone as a chess piece, in Season 5 it is impossible to keep playing the game without taking pieces off the board," he says matter-of-factly:

Yellowstone dropped a trailer for Season 5 in late August, teasing viewers with the same mix of intrigue, drama and violence that has become the hallmark of the show.

Season 5 of Yellowstone began shooting in Montana in mid-May, and it's set to premiere on Nov. 13.

The new season will consist of 14 episodes airing in two arcs of 7 episodes apiece. Seasons 1-4 of the hit Paramount Network show are currently available to stream via Peacock.

As part of Taste of Country's comprehensive coverage of all things Yellowstone, check out our Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

PICTURES: See Inside Kevin Costner's Spectacular Colorado Ranch

Yellowstone star Kevin Costner lives the ranch life when he's off the set of the hit show, too. The Oscar-winning actor owns a 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colo., that's a spectacular getaway, complete with a main residence, a lake house and a river house.

The luxury retreat also features a baseball field, a sledding hill, an ice rink, multiple hot tubs and views of the Continental Divide. The ranch property comfortably sleeps 27 people, and it's currently available to rent for 36,000 a night.

You Can Rent a Cabin on the Ranch From 'Yellowstone' - See Pictures

The stunning Montana ranch that serves as the setting for the hit TV show Yellowstone offers cabins for rent, and the price includes tours of the set and ranch. Scroll below to see photos of the extraordinary property.

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