Taylor Sheridan Speaks Out About Kevin Costner's 'Yellowstone' Exit

In the wake of Kevin Costner's announcement that he would be leaving Yellowstone earlier than expected, there has been much speculation about the Paramount series' future. For the first time, Taylor Sheridan discussed the situation with The Hollywood Reporter. Sheridan told the publication that he wasn't exactly thrilled about it. 

"I'm disappointed," Sheridan said. "It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn't alter it, but it truncates it." Sheridan negated rumors that there was much friction between him and Costner. The actor, he said, is leaving as part of his own Western epic series, a four-part film titled Horizon. "I've never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn't work out on the phone," Sheridan said. "But once lawyers get involved, then people don't get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren't true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting. He took a lot of this on the chin, and I don't know that anyone deserves it. His movie seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it's a good one."

Since Yellowstone became one of the most popular shows on television, Sheridan created several prequel series for the show, including 1883 and 1923. There are also plans in the works to create a follow-up series to the flagship show that may feature Matthew McConaughey. "He seems like a natural fit," Sheridan said regarding McConaughey. "We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching Yellowstone and responded to it. He was like, 'I want to do that.' And by 'that,' he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, 'Buddy, that we can do.'" He went on to explain that the series may eventually end up being a standalone show but also said that he only has "the broadest stroke" of the story taken care of as of right now.

The first half of Yellowstone's final season performed rather well with 17 million viewers having watched the November 13, 2022 premiere. There are currently plans for the second portion of the season to be released in November, though due to the ongoing writers' strike, that is looking less and less plausible. Although it has been reported that there will be six episodes left in the series, the run could be longer than that. "If I think it takes 10 episodes to wrap it up, they'll give me 10," Sheridan told THR. "It'll be as long as it needs to be." 

Due to the WGA writer's strike, production for 1923 has also been "delayed indefinitely." Deadline reported that the local NBC News station in Montana spoke with someone involved in the production, who said the producers informed them that production would not begin on the scheduled date. Production on 1923 Season 2 was initially planned to start on Monday, June 5, and the production studio is paying the Butte Civic Center $75,000 a month through the end of the year.