Yellowstone has been at the top of every headline this past week following the announcement from Deadline that the popular TV series may soon cut ties with its lead star – Kevin Costner.
According to rumors, Costner is clashing with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and Paramount Network over shooting demands. The show is currently in the middle of its fifth season and is destined to resume later this summer.
However, the issue is the cast and crew have not yet shot the scenes for the second half of season five of Yellowstone (which was slated to resume in March or April).
What’s more, the shooting schedule for Yellowstone conflicts with Costner’s own plans to direct and star in his own western film (set to be released later this year by Warner Bros. Pictures).
According to reports, the 68-year-old actor desires to significantly reduce his commitment to Yellowstone. In fact, some rumors suggest Costner wants to limit his time to a week or less.
Of course, this creates a significant issue with the production team, who has yet to complete season five and now has a disgruntled star on its hands.
Could it be that Costner forecasts the demise of Yellowstone?
Perhaps he’s aware of the trainwreck that is season five and wants to ditch it before it gets messier? Whatever the motive, it appears that the Hollywood star is finally ready to move on.
Redditors were quick to respond with their own take on the Costner departure. According to some fans, the recent Golden Globe winner for his performance in Yellowstone may be leveraging the award to demand a pay raise.
Or, the actor is simply bored with the role.
After all, working TV is not an easy schedule for any actor, especially one of Costner’s caliber who doesn’t need to remain cemented in one role forever.
It’s obvious the actor is more interested in his own western these days, so why get in the way of it?
In the end, most Redditors do not blame Kevin Costner for the potential downfall of Yellowstone. For them, the show has been spiraling in that direction for a long time and it’s Sheridan, not Costner, to blame.
Paramount responded to the rumors this weekend that Costner is out the door, releasing a statement that the actor is a significant part of the cast and the network “hope that’s the case for a long time to come.”
The press release also confirmed that Paramount is considering adding Matthew McConaughey to the cast.
Therefore, even if Costner is leaving Yellowstone, the show may continue without him. It’s hard to picture the eldest Dutton no longer in the picture but, then again, the show has been moving in this direction for some time. Perhaps Costner is finally abandoning a sinking ship.