Kevin Costner, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and a handful of the lead cast members were scheduled to appear on a Paleyfest panel this Saturday. Costner, Sheridan and the leads, including Cole Hauser and Wes Bentley, backed out at the last minute, with a different palen of supporting cast and Paramount executives taking their place. Fans were disappointed, and it highlighted the rumors that Kevin Costner is about to step away from the franchise. We’ve heard for weeks that Costner is leaving, and there were stories that Matthew McConaughey would take over in some capacity. At Paleyfest, the president of development for Paramount, Keith Cox, said everyone was “confident” that Costner would return as John Dutton to the series:
Paramount Network vaguely addressed rumors about Kevin Costner’s future on “Yellowstone” following speculation he may hang up his cowboy hat.
“What I can say is our star, the face of our show, and executive producer, are very confident he is going to continue with our show,” Paramount Network’s president of development and production Keith Cox told fans to enthusiastic applause at a PaleyFest panel for the Paramount+ drama on Saturday night, attended by Insider.
When asked when we can expect production on the season to resume, Cox said an announcement will come “soon.” He described the season’s remaining episodes as “phenomenal. I’m confident.”
The show’s mid-season finale aired January 1.
Fans inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre were hoping to hear the comments from Costner himself.
The show’s star was originally set to appear alongside the majority of the series’ main cast, including Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham, and Jacki Weaver, as well as executive producers Taylor Sheridan and David Glasser.
In a last-minute shake-up that felt like an April Fools’ Day prank, the entire PaleyFest line-up changed with none of the original talent present…
Deadline initially reported in February that Sheridan, Paramount Global, and Paramount Network sought to end the neo-western drama after its current fifth season because of disagreements with the “Field of Dreams” star over shooting schedules.
The actor, who this year won a Golden Globe for his performance as aging rancher John Dutton, reportedly wanted to cut back his number of days on set in Montana to seven for the remaining episodes of season five (presumably because he is working on a Western epic which he is directing, co-writing, and starring in).
Saying it’s happening and you’re “confident” it will happen are two different things. Yellowstone is currently the most popular network show and it’s in its fifth season. (I watched the first three seasons and enjoyed it, but I disliked how the female characters were portrayed and didn’t want to keep up.) Of course they want Costner to stay on, but the rumors and Paleyfest shake up make it seem like they’re having creative and/or contract issues. Reports claim that Costner wants to film less to focus on his own Western epic.
We’ve also heard that Matthew McConaughey could possibly step in to Yellowstone if Costner leaves. The Hollywood Reporter has an interview with Paramount Media head Chris McCarthy. He said that they want Costner to stay, and that McConaughey’s show is going to be a spinoff. There are already two spinoffs, 1883 and 1923, with two more in the works, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, and 6666. The Bass Reeves story will star David Oyelowo and is a spinoff of 1883 and 6666 (Four Sixes is how it’s supposedly said, so just call it that?) is set on a ranch in West Texas. That’s the show I’m assuming Texan McConaughey will star in. These spinoff names are confusing. I guess they’re trying to make it clear when they’re set, but why not give them full names instead of just numbers? And give Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy US marshal, his own title without “1883” in it.
Now the Bass Reeves story caught my attention! I’m interested in learning more about him and his story.
The entire franchise is a prime example of ruin a good thing. I’ll pass on Matt M every day.
Agreed. Also thank you everyone – I really wanted to get back into it and also maybe watch the spin off on Paramount (which I found crummy to do- get me hooked and then give the background on a different platform where I have to pay) but the comments have helped me throw that idea in the trash.
The Paleyfest debacle is a classic “where there’s smoke there’s fire..or a giant dumpster fire”…example. They’re not filming and all of those people suddenly had a scheduling conflict they didn’t know about until the last minute? LOL…OK. I don’t even follow the show anymore but you couldn’t escape this on social media. Fans were furious! I think Paley needs to get issuing some refunds ASAP, this was so sketchy.
Yellowstone has gone downhill from S1.
It’s taking so damn long to get part 2 of S5, I’ve lost interest.
Costner should have filmed the entire S5 and then left.
MM hard pass. 1883 was watchable for Sam Elliott. Not interested in the Harrison Ford show.
Too bad, everybody had a hit, then KC and TS egos got going and now? I don’t care anymore.
They better refund that ticket $ tho, that’s just crummy.
These shows are some of my favorite shows on TV right now. I love Taylor Sheridan. It’s 6666 because that is the name of the ranch which is an actual ranch in Texas. 1883 was perfection and 1923 is ok. Maybe I love these shows because I’m a ranch and horse girl. My husband is a retired farmer and still a cowboy. So these shows appeal to us. We ride and used to compete. Barrels, cutting, reining and sorting. The idea is that horse people are conservative but we are liberals. Just throwing that in there.
I am liberal as can be too. I love Yellowstone and the spinoffs. I am an addict. I do want Kevin Costner to finish out the season.
I was not a ranch girl or horse girl. I wanted to be. I grew up spending my life around it. I do always laugh when people assume most ranchers are conservative. Most ranchers I know are liberal. I live in a conservative area.
I know everyone is speculating about Matthew. I would be so surprised if he was part of the Yellowstone cast.
Four sixes is in Texas. Matthews ranch is in Texas. His children are in school in Texas. It makes sense he will be head of the four sixes.
The four sixes ranch is a huge, historic ranch in Texas that Taylor bought with his Yellowstone money. I went to the Fort Worth Stock Show, and there’s tons of Yellowstone Merch and a huge booth for the 6666, with Yellowstone and Taylor Merch, as well as their own branded stuff. I think he’s pulling a Tyler Perry, where he’s setting up his own studio/creative place. At the very least, he has a location for all these ranch shows always at his disposal. 1883 was filled around Fort Worth, I think 1923 might’ve been too.
Anything that keeps McCaugheny out of politics, FFS. I’d prefer seeing him play a rancher to play my Governor.
On the one hand, I agree with you (fellow Texan here) because he has absolutely no experience and an executive position is not entry-level. Texas deserves better than a beginner in the governor’s seat. On the other hand, he couldn’t be any worse than the terrible Greg Abbott, so in that regard, I’d take the lesser of two evils. Incompetent but well-meaning is better than marginally competent and soulless, IMO.
I watched about half of the first season of Yellowstone and could not care less about any of this, lol. The show is toooooo soapy and ridiculous and while I applaud the creators for Getting That Money while the getting is good, I don’t think we need 400 different iterations of “Dallas–But On A Ranch!!”. I do think that the David Oyelowo project sounds interesting.
I also believe that Costner told them straight up that he’d commit for a set time but after that he was out; if they didn’t get his scenes wrapped up in the time he contracted for, that’s on them. They need him more than he needs them IMO.
I’ll jump on this wagon. Keep wannabe philosopher busy. I carefully pick which shows I watch featuring his exaggerated southern drawl.
I liked Yellowstone okay enough, but I totally agree, it’s a soap opera. Oh they try to edge it out here and there, but we end right back up at the ranch where all things come together in the end.
I couldn’t get past one of the more horrific scenes in the first season and I haven’t watched it since. This show is peak Hollywood white male and it’s honestly sad how popular it is.
They could be doing this song and dance to generate interest. Yes, its popular but its not game of thrones level. They could still use some press outside of foxnews. I notice the crazy qanon people are starting to use it as a representation. You know Kevin Costner doesn’t want to be associated with that.
The show that ruined Montana.
Please note before you move here “to be a Dutton” that what it never shows you is today, April 3, wind blowing gravel down the street, ground still frozen 5 feet deep, snow on everything.
But doesn’t stop the asshats driving gigantic bright-yellow Hummers with “Yellowstone” on the plate passing multiple vehicles on 2-lane highway 89 through the actual Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone (not the Big Hole valley 100 miles west where the show is shot).
That show has been a blight on Montana, in the same way that my cousins in the reining business tell me Taylor Sheridan has ruined that too, by bringing in a bunch of looky loos who don’t know squat.
Fie upon your stupid show.
Yep. Another annoyed Montanan chiming in. What Robert Redford started in the 1990s, Taylor Sheridan has continued, turning our “Last Best Place” into a petting zoo. Ugh.