Kevin Costner Failed to Strike a Major Deal With Paramount Over His New Movie, Report Claims
Yellowstone star Kevin Costner has been developing a new movie, Horizon, that he reportedly tried and failed to strike a major deal with Paramount over. Puck reports that the actor hoped Paramount — the company behind Yellowstone — would take on distribution for the movie, but the company declined. This, Puck states, may have led to ongoing issues on production for Yellowstone Season 5.
The report comes weeks after it was first alleged that Costner was the cause of filming delays on Yellowstone, due to contracting Covid-19 and also wanting to spend less time on set so he could work on Horizon. The show is currently on a break and was initially scheduled to return before or by the summer of 2023. It's now reported that Season 5 may not resume until the end of the year. Puck adds that Costner is possibly already at work on the sequel to Horizon, which would keep him busy the rest of the year and add to the delays at Yellowstone.
Along with reports that Costner wanted to work less on Yellowstone, it was also reported that the neo-Western series might be inching closer to an early conclusion, possibly ending with the current Season 5. If this does happen, there's reportedly been talk of a potential new series starring Matthew McConaughey. It's said that the new show would be a continuation of Yellowstone in some form. No details of how – or which Yellowstone cast members might be involved – have been shared.
In response to the initial report, a spokesperson for Paramount stated, "We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that's the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we'd love to partner."
Costner's lawyer, Marty Singer, addressed the claims in an official statement to Puck, saying, "The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of Yellowstone is an absolute lie. It's ridiculous-and anyone suggesting it shouldn't be believed for one second. As everyone who knows anything about Kevin is well aware, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success."