After the Kevin Costner exit drama in Yellowstone, Matthew McConaughey is no closer to signing the deal for a new spin-off series. While the actor’s involvement was reported a few months back, one issue stopped him from closing the deal. McConaughey will only agree to the series if he sees a script for the same from Taylor Sheridan. The same script issue was one of the reasons that drove Costner away from Yellowstone.
Interestingly, Paramount+ has roped in another star to helm a spinoff series from the Western drama. Michelle Pfeiffer of Ant-Man fame is reportedly close to striking a deal with the studio and Sheridan may shift his focus to this female-led series.
Yellowstone Creator Needs To Break His One Rule To Sign Matthew McConaughey
Yellowstone lost its lead actor Kevin Costner midway through Season 5. Reports suggested that he had a bad falling out with creator Taylor Sheridan over some of the creative decisions of the series. Costner, being a perfectionist actor and filmmaker, wasn’t comfortable filming scenes without a script, which happened in the series a lot.
While Sheridan didn’t address Costner’s issues at the time and may have eventually driven him away from the series, he now needs to address them if he wants his desired spinoff project to happen. According to the Puck Newsletter by Matthew Belloni, the Wind River director can’t get Matthew McConaughey on board without showing him the full script.
With Costner’s reported exit from the series, Sheridan needs another A-lister to continue the legacy of the series. Moreover, McConaughey’s return to television role is much expected by the audiences, especially after his performance in the first season of True Detective. Sheridan needs to bend a few of his stringent rules if he were to cast McConaughey.
Interestingly, the Dallas Buyers Club actor was the one who wanted to do a project like Yellowstone after watching the Western drama. Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview that he and McConaughey shared a few conversations about a potential project over the years. When he saw the series, he wanted to dive into the raw world of the series. Sheridan shared with THR:
“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.’ By ‘that,’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’”
While Sheridan believes that McConaughey “seems like a natural fit” to lead the spinoff series, he also revealed to the news outlet that he wants to tell his stories his way. Sheridan also added in his interview that he would not compromise on the creative decisions of the series.
Michelle Pfeiffer May Get Her Yellowstone Spinoff Sooner Than Matthew McConaughey
Matthew Belloni also reported that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania actress Michelle Pfeiffer has entered the final stages of negotiation with Paramount and 101 Studios. She will star as the lead in another untitled Yellowstone sequel. The deal is expected to happen within the next week or two. If everything goes well for Pfeiffer, Sheridan will prioritize this spinoff series over the one with Matthew McConaughey.
Interestingly, Belloni also revealed that the current stars of the show, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, and Luke Grimes, could feature in Pfeiffer’s series. However, the three actors have notably demanded a pay raise ahead of the filming of the second part of the fifth season of the series. Belloni reported that the studio is not budging to their demands and has set a deadline for the actors to enter into deals this week.