UPDATE [8/05/2023]: The standoff between series lead Kevin Costner and franchise creator Taylor Sheridan / Paramount Network has progressed to its natural conclusion – Yellowstone, the main saga, is wrapping it up after the final episodes of season 5 (scheduled to premiere sometime in November 2023). But fear not…
As the ongoing coverage has made perfectly clear, there’s no way in hell Paramount would let one of its top earners tank. Especially in the wake of its recent stock plunge instigated by the revelation of its streaming business losses. Which is why a sequel series reportedly starring Matthew McConaughey is set to premiere in December.
“The Dutton story continues, picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale. We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world,” said David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios.
As noted by Variety, not only does this manoeuvre allow both the Paramount Network and Taylor Sheridan to bypass any potential Kevin Costner-related issues, but also allows them to exclusively stream a brand new series featuring most of the original Yellowstone cast. For context, the main series is currently available on platforms outside of Paramount+ (i.e. Peacock over in the US, Stan here in Australia).
Original Article – Kevin Costner Is Officially Leaving ‘Yellowstone’ After Season 5
For months, multiple publications had teased the possibility of Yellowstone progressing without its series lead Kevin Costner, who portrays family patriarch and fictional Governor of Montana John Dutton III. Still, fans hoped this was nothing more than Hollywood gossip.
Now, Entertainment Tonight has confirmed the rumours: Costner is parting ways with Paramount Network’s hit property after something of a falling out between himself and series co-creator Taylor Sheridan, which mainly revolved around the veteran actor’s unwillingness to cooperate with the show’s current production schedule.
The news comes to light just weeks after the announcement that yet another in-universe spin-off slash contingency plan had been officially greenlit, this one starring none other than Matthew McConaughey (read more below).
RELATED: ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off Starring Matthew McConaughey On The Way
“It is unclear which of the Yellowstone cast will move over to the McConaughey-led series, but it is expected to include several of the big stars,” explained Peter White of Deadline; referring to the likes of Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham.
As for the five remaining episodes of the XXL fifth season, it’s all very much up in the air right now. Initially, White had noted Yellowstone season 5 was set to return with Kevin Costner sometime in mid-2023. According to sources who’ve spoken to Entertainment Tonight, however…
“… there is still no update on when the cast and crew are going to return to Montana, where the series is filmed on location, to finish shooting season 5’s remaining episodes. As a result, there’s been a lot of confusion and frustration.”
Yellowstone season 5 (Part Two) release date TBA.
NOTE: If they had the balls to actually kill John Dutton during the season 3 finale/season 4 premiere, this real-life drama could’ve been avoided entirely. Instead, they’ll need to pull off some story gymnastics to write him out in a non-hokey fashion.
