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Kevin Costner in Yellowstone Photo: Paramount
The Yellowstone Cinematic Universe has expanded well beyond the flagship show, but Kevin Costner is still the patriarch of all the Dutton patriarchs that have since followed. Unfortunately, reports have abounded that he’s wearying of the position—even despite nabbing a Golden Globe award for the role. Rumors of a fallout between the actor and series creator Taylor Sheridan have been forecasting the end of Yellowstone OG, with a new source for Entertainment Tonight claiming Costner has officially left the building.
Previous reports indicated a disagreement over scheduling commitments; Costner was allegedly only willing to give one week of time to the back half of the fifth season, apparently preferring to spend that time working on his own Western epic. Now, this ET production source says Costner isn’t going to return for those last few episodes. (Paramount has not responded to The A.V. Club’s request for comment.) Here’s the skinny from behind the scenes, according to ET:
“Additional sources also tell ET that there is still no update on when the cast and crew are going to return to Montana, where the series is filmed on location, to finish shooting season 5's remaining episodes. As a result, there’s been a lot of confusion and frustration.”
In early April, Paramount Network president of development and production Keith Cox dismissed rumors of turbulence at a panel for the popular series, saying, “What I can say is our star, the face of our show and the executive producer, [we] are very confident he’s going to continue with our show.”
In addition, Costner’s lawyer told Puck News (via TVLine) that his supposed one-week restriction was false. “The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of Yellowstone is an absolute lie,” attorney Marty Singer said. “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.”
Nevertheless, Yellowstone filming does appear to be delayed (according to TVLine, episodes that were supposed to air this summer hadn’t yet begun production in April). Meanwhile, the network is moving forward with yet another spin-off starring Matthew McConaughey. So while this may indeed be the end of an era, there are obviously a lot more Yellowstone eras to explore.
