‘Yellowstone’: Taylor Sheridan Reveals Kevin Costner’s Problem With Season 2

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has opened up about the recent controversy surrounding the show, and even revealed that series star Kevin Costner has had some problems as for back as Season 2. In an extensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan offered his candid perspective on the show and its inevitable end. During the conversation, an “anonymous claim” came up, in which a source had claimed that Costner was unhappy with the direction of his character, John Dutton, and that Sheridan’s reply was encouraging him to “stick to acting.” 

“I never had that conversation with Kevin,” Sheridan told THR. “There was a time in season two when he was very upset and said the character wasn’t going in the direction he wanted. I said, ‘Kevin, you do remember that I told you this is essentially The Godfather on the largest ranch in Montana? Are you that surprised that the Godfather is killing people?’ What he’s clung to is [Dutton’s] commitments to his family and way of life. Dutton’s big failing is not evolving with the times – not finding different revenue streams [for the ranch].” 

Sheridan added, “Kevin felt season two was deviating from that, and I don’t know that he was wrong. In season three, we steered back into it. And I recall him winning a Golden Globe last year for his performance, so I think it’s working.”

The interview comes several weeks after it was announced that Yellowstone is coming to an end.  For many months prior, there had been rumors that Costner was not interested in starring in the show any longer. 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 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.