A new Yellowstone report reveals the main demand from Kevin Costner that was the last straw for the actor with series creator Taylor Sheridan. The trouble all started, per Puck, before the WGA strike began in May. It had already been reported that Costner was leaving the show and that he and Sheridan were not on good terms. Sheridan had finished the scripts for the final episodes of Yellowstone Season 5, which would also be its last season.
Puck says that Costner’s reps eventually reached out to say that Costner had changed his mind about leaving and wanted to return for the rest of Season 5, and possibly even a sixth season. However, once Sheridan got on the phone with Costner to discuss terms, things soured. Among Costner’s requests were more money, a shorter filming schedule, and the right to review, approve, and/or veto each script. Sheridan was said to not be open to these demands, so the potential deal fell through. TV Line reports that it has reached out to Costner’s reps for comment but has not received a response at the time of this writing.
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The news comes months after it was announced that Yellowstone is coming to an end. A February report indicated that creator Sheridan hadn’t even been able to finish writing the rest of the episodes due to Costner’s alleged inability to commit. The Paramount Network show was reportedly hit with delays that are alleged to be due to Costner not wanting to spend significant amounts of time on filming.
This reportedly 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 was reportedly 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 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.
Additionally, it’s been announced that Matthew McConaughey will be starring in a Yellowstone spinoff, which may in part continue the story laid out in the flagship series. Ahead of the big news, McConaughey made an appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast to discuss his non-fiction book Greenlights. While chatting with the hosts, McConaughey got around to mentioning future projects and revealed that he had something on the horizon which can be safely assumed is his new Yellowstone series.
