'Yellowstone' Prequel '1923' Season 2 Filming 'Delayed Indefinitely' Due to Writers Strike
Filming for the second season of Yellowstone prequel series 1923 has reportedly been "delayed indefinitely," due to the WGA writer's strike. Deadline reports that a local NBC News station in Montana spoke with someone connected to the production who stated they were advised by producers that production would not begin on the scheduled date. Cameras were initially set to start rolling for 1923 Season 2 on Monday, June 5, and the production studio is paying $75,000 a month, through the end of the year, for use of the Butte Civic Center.
The Writers Guild of America strike began on May 2 and currently has no end date. The organization represents more than 11,000 Hollywood TV and movie writers. The strike was the result of the WGA not reaching an acceptable agreement after six weeks of wage negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. "Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal – and though your strike vote gave us the leverage to make some gains – the studios' responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing," the negotiating committee wrote in a letter to members, per VOX. "The companies' behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing."
The news of production on 1923 being delayed comes after it was announced that the flagship series Yellowstone is coming to an end. The news arrived months after rumors that series star Kevin Costner is not interested in starring in the show any longer. A February report indicated that creator Taylor Sheridan hadn't even been able to finish writing the rest of the episodes due to Costner's alleged inability to commit.
The currently-on-hold Paramount Network show has reportedly been hit with delays that are alleged to be due to Costner not wanting to spend significant amounts of time on filming. This, Puck reports, has led Sheridan to be "furious" over the "Costner drama" because he cannot continue scripting until he knows if the star is "in or out." Costner has reportedly been in disputes with Yellowstone producers over Season 5 filming, though the actor's lawyer disputed those claims.
"The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of Yellowstone is an absolute lie," Costner's attorney Marty Singer, told Puck exclusively. The official statement came weeks after it was first alleged that Costner was the cause of filming delays on Yellowstone. The show is currently on a Season 5 break and was initially scheduled to return before or by summer 2023. It's now reported that the show may not return until closer to fall 2023.