Paramount’s Wild West drama “Yellowstone” has been a roaring success that propelled show creator Taylor Sheridan into the public eye, but reports indicate that star actor Kevin Costner may soon be done with the franchise.
A Deadline report says that the duo of Paramount and Sheridan are planning to end the story of Yellowstone in a spectacular way, before transitioning into even more spinoffs than have already been aired. One such spinoff has even been rumored to include Matthew McConaughey.
A Paramount Network spokesperson gave a statement to Deadline in which they seemed unwilling to confirm or deny the report, saying:
“We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”
Allegedly, scheduling conflicts have begun to cause a rift between Costner and Sheridan, as the actor has reportedly only made himself available for one week of shooting for the upcoming wave of episodes. Given his role as the leader of the Yellowstone Ranch, this could be problematic, if true.
What Deadline does seem sure of, is the impending McConaughey introduction to the Yellowstone universe, writing:
“What all parties are now wrangling is a Yellowstone franchise extension that Sheridan will write with McConaughey as the star. The True Detective star is currently in negotiations.”
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The Dutton family legacy has been expounded upon with recent adaptations of the family sage, 1883 and 1923, it is reasonable to think that this new show will continue in that vein. The studio has, in the past, indicated that it would like to explore other times in the history of the ranch, like the 40s and 60s, along with the struggles that the family faced at those times.
Costner, for his role as John Dutton, won the Golden Globe for Best Actor. In an Instagram post, he thanks those who work on the show and his fans:
“Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press and @goldenglobes for this tremendous honor and to the @yellowstone team for bringing John Dutton’s world to life. I share this recognition with my castmates, the producers, and our incredible crew. Most of all, thank you to our show’s fans, who love Yellowstone Ranch as if it were their own”
Costner is now in production on a movie called Horizon, a western that “chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west,” according to IMDB.
Fans now patiently await the next news that comes from the “Yellowstone” camp, as the current season begins to wrap up this summer with the second half of the season. The Dutton family faces serious danger against the ranch as Montana Governor John Dutton is being impeached by Jamie, his son. Fans will have to wait just a few more months to see how that pans out.