Yellowstone has been one of the most popular TV shows in recent years. But, the drama hasn’t only been on-screen. Behind the scenes, the show has seen its fair share of tension, especially between lead actor Kevin Costner and showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
Since its debut in 2018, Yellowstone has earned a huge loyal fanbase. It captivated audiences with its portrayal of life on a Montana ranch. The ranch is led by the complex and rugged John Dutton, played by Costner. The show quickly became a cultural phenomenon. But, behind the scenes, things haven’t been so smooth.
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Rumors of a rift between Costner and Sheridan started making rounds last year. There were reports of disagreements over scheduling. All reports were proven true when Costner announced his departure from the show. This left fans shocked and left the future of Yellowstone in limbo.
Since then, there’s been plenty of speculation about what exactly happened between the two. As we await the future episodes, let’s take a closer look at what went down between Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan.
Disclaimer: The article reflects the author's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.
Yellowstone: Behind-the-scenes
When Yellowstone debuted on the Paramount Network in June 2018, not many expected it to become such a hit. Kevin Costner's John Dutton, the powerful ranch owner, quickly won hearts. Sheridan knew what he was doing.
The drama started off when Costner began working on his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. While Costner was committed to Yellowstone, his new project resulted in scheduling conflicts.
In February 2023, reports surfaced claiming that Costner and Sheridan were at odds over scheduling. Allegedly, Costner wanted to spend just a week shooting his scenes for the remaining episodes of Yellowstone Season 5.
However, Costner’s team denied these claims. According to Costner’s attorney, the actor didn’t set such strict limits, but the rumors kept making rounds.
Then, it was official. Costner was exiting the show. The announcement shocked fans. It became clear that behind-the-scenes issues, especially production schedules, had become too much to handle.
Costner speaks out
After leaving the show, Costner finally opened up about the situation. He admitted that things were “complicated” and that he had tried to negotiate a way to continue for at least three more seasons. According to Esquire, Costner had shared:
“I haven’t felt good about it the last year, what with the way they’ve talked about it. It wasn’t truthful. So now I’m talking a little bit about what the real truth of it was. I made a contract for seasons five, six and seven. In February, after a two- or three-month negotiation, they made another contract. They wanted to redo that one, and instead of seasons six and seven, it was 5A and 5B, and maybe we’ll do six. They weren’t able to make those. ‘Horizon’ was set in the middle, but ‘Yellowstone’ was first position. I fit [‘Horizon’] into the gaps. They just kept moving their gaps.”
In a candid interview with Deadline, Costner didn’t hold back. He shared:
“I have taken a beating from those f*cking guys. I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong....They were doing a tap dance and this poor guy was also having to write so much. And I don’t know why they didn’t stick up for me.”
He felt the Yellowstone team wasn’t transparent about the reasons behind the delays. He felt like they were trying to shift the blame onto him.
Sheridan’s perspective
Taylor Sheridan, meanwhile, offered his side of the story. In a The Hollywood Reporter interview, Sheridan said:
"My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct. He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with Yellowstone. I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],’ which we did.”
He also added:
“I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone. 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.”
Sheridan also expressed disappointment, stating that Costner’s exit “truncates the closure of his character.” He believed they could have worked things out if it weren’t for external complications, mainly legal negotiations.
The future of Yellowstone
With Costner’s exit, the show's future became uncertain. Paramount announced that Yellowstone would conclude with the second half of Season 5, which is set to release in November 2024.
For now, fans can only wait and see how Yellowstone wraps up. As for the tiff between Costner and Sheridan, it seems unlikely they’ll be back on the same set anytime soon.
Also read: Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 release schedule
Stay tuned to Soap Central for more updates and detailed coverage.
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