Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan opens up about Kevin Costner and the show’s ending

Yellowstone was a big banner title for the newer streaming service, Paramount+. The network’s secret weapon is the acclaimed writer of such film titles as Sicario, Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado, Hell or High Water and Wind River. Taylor Sheridan has made such a success of Yellowstone that Paramount+ granted him additional multiple shows, including Yellowstone prequels, 1883, 1923, as well as Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown. Unfortunately, the behind-the-scenes drama during the last season of Yellowstone proved to be a difficult hurdle when trying to bow out gracefully. Conflicting stories were thrown around about Kevin Costner causing trouble for the production by refusing to work a planned schedule and wanting to exit the show.

The Hollywood Reporter has a new one-on-one with Sheridan, and the Yellowstone boss talks about that last season and opens up about the show’s star, Kevin Costner. Costner reportedly asked for fewer days for the last season to concentrate on his own western passion project epic. Sheridan recalls, “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.” Costner had opted to film his scenes early on while scripts were still being written at a crucial time to bring the show home.

Unfortunately, tensions rose due to Costner’s preferred schedule, even causing cast members to skip a panel for the show at a PaleyFest event at one point. Sheridan remained diplomatic about his reaction. “My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered. His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful … and 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. He took a lot of this on the chin and I don’t know that anyone deserves it. His movie seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it’s a good one.”

Then, he added, “I’m disappointed. It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it.” The hope of the studio has been to bring Matthew McConaughey to the show in a “new chapter” follow-up. Sheridan feels optimistic about working with McConaughey. “He seems like a natural fit. 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.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’ “