Kevin Costner’s future with Yellowstone gets a confident update from a Paramount executive. Ever since February, when news first surfaced of a conflict with Costner off-camera, the future of Yellowstone has been somewhat uncertain. Although the franchise remains a huge hit, with spinoffs and other streaming platforms and networks attempting to replicate its success, there’s now a question of what the original series would even look like without its Oscar-winning lead in the role of John Dutton and whether it might actually be time to bring the popular neo-Western drama to a close.
Now, while speaking at a panel over the weekend, Keith Cox — president of development and production at Paramount Network — talked about the Costner situation and sounded confident that the actor would remain part of the Yellowstone cast. Speaking in front of hundreds at the Dolby Theatre, the executive’s words garnered a positive response. Cox’s quote, via The Hollywood Reporter, is below:
“What I can say is our star, the face of our show and the executive producer, are very confident he’s going to continue with our show.”
What’s Going On With Kevin Costner & Yellowstone?
It had initially been reported that Yellowstone could end sooner than perhaps anticipated because of scheduling disagreements with Costner. The actor reportedly demanded to only work for one single week through the second half of Yellowstone season 5, which will debut in the summer. Paramount Network said at the time that it had no comment on the Costner situation. Costner’s attorney, meanwhile, called the reports an “absolute lie.”
The universe of Yellowstone will grow regardless, as a spinoff was announced involving Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey. The spinoff, which will hail from franchise creator Taylor Sheridan, clearly offers a path forward for Yellowstone without Costner by slotting in another Academy Award winner with a strong filmography and a big fanbase. Whether that happens, however, remains to be seen and the situation is still developing.
The cast of Yellowstone has also had to address the Costner question. Lainey Wilson and Piper Perabo, who respectively play Abby and Summer on the show, recently struck an optimistic tone. Both shared their excitement for the future of the franchise, sounding hopeful that any disagreement and drama will work itself out eventually.