Harrison Ford is said to be furious over producer Taylor Sheridan pulling the plug on his Yellowstone spin-off, 1923, even before its second season even airs.
After a two-year wait, 1923 returns to the small screen on February 23. But sources claim that franchise mastermind Sheridan, 54, has already said so long to the hit Western – which stars Ford, 82, as Jacob Dutton, grandfather of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone rancher John Dutton.
An insider said: “Taylor feels like he told the story he wanted to tell and is done with it.
“He’s sticking to his guns even though he got a lot of pressure to continue, since 1923 is a big moneymaker.”
Some sources claimed a lot of that pressure came from the Shrinking star, who has reportedly made around $1 million per episode to star alongside British film legend Helen Mirren in the prequel about the Dutton family’s rise to power and riches.
A friend squealed that Ford loved that the show was shot on location in Butte, Montana, where the seasoned pilot could make a quick flight from his home in Jackson Hole, which he shares with wife Calista Flockhart.
But the pal also said that even more than the fat paycheck and convenience, “Harrison loved the physical demands the show put on him.”
They added: “At his age, it was good incentive to stay in shape. Harrison grew up loving Western movies and TV shows, and getting paid millions to play cowboy was just catnip to him.”
The confidant further claimed that feisty Ford butted heads with Sheridan over his decision to wrap the show. But sources close to the production pushed back and said there is no truth that there’s a feud between the two men.
While the actor’s rep insisted it’s untrue that Ford is upset about the show’s ending, the close pal dished: “Harrison said he even came up with ideas to extend the series – but it was like talking to a brick wall with Taylor.
“Getting thrown off his horse is leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.”
As the sun is beginning to set on the limited series, Ford’s co-star praised his acting in the upcoming and final season.
Mirren, 79, said she noticed “something rather magical” happened with his acting while working on the second season together.
The actress said: “He was a huge star and he really didn’t want to be. He wanted to just be a quiet person getting on with life, and of course, that’s kind of impossible.
“Something rather magical has happened to Harrison, especially with his history of, you know, being the dude, the bloke, the fabulous action guy, the funny guy, the cool guy.
“Now there’s this open road to his inner feelings, which he is absolutely unafraid of expressing. It’s just a true, quick, instinctive emotional reaction to things, without sentimentality.”