Believe it or not, Papa Costner apparently wasn’t a fan of the show in the beginning.
I never would’ve guessed…
With the premiere date of season five of Yellowstone looming, The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg recently sat down with Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton), Kelsey Asbille (Monica), Kevin Costner (John Dutton), Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton), and Cole Hauser (Rip) for a full interview from the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana, which portrays Yellowstone Ranch on the show.
Costner kicked things off by discussing why we don’t see a lot of great westerns anymore:
“They’re really hard to make. From a western standpoint, the reason why there’s so many bad ones is because they don’t realize how complicated it was.
Westerns aren’t based just on the gunfight, they’re based on literature of how people lived their life and how they spoke with each other, and danger that was involved in an area without any level of protection that we know today in this particular century…
If you make a western, and you don’t acknowledge those abilities, those random acts of violence that occurred out here, I think that’s why they can miss the mark.”
The group was then asked if writer Taylor Sheridan has always known the big picture of where he wants the story to go, or if he has changed parts of the story based on chemistry between certain characters.
Costner weighed in:
“I think there’s a healthy paranoia, that somebody knows more than the other person… we don’t. I’m not used to being a passenger, and it’s been a good ride. He (Taylor Sheridan) has a rhythm for me, and he’s not, and I feel like for all of us, there’s no really manipulations with the script, and there doesn’t need to be.”
Reilly agrees with Costner, but said it was evident that Beth and Rip’s relationship was going to play a massive part in the show:
“From the first episode, when we first started filming I think we had the first four episodes of season one… I never asked questions about the future, I always asked questions about the past, but it was clear these two characters (Beth and Rip) were soulmates… And who knows what the future holds, we don’t know.”
Hauser also discussed the reason why viewers love the relationship between Beth and Rip:
“I feel like, you know, the reason why at least they’ve fallen in love with us and Taylor’s writing of us, Beth and Rip, is because they’re not perfect. And nothing in reality is perfect, you know?
You make these romantic stories love at first sight, and sunsets and all these gorgeous things, but I feel like with at least the audiences here in America, they go there’s something I can relate to. It might not be everything, but it’s little things, and I think he saw Kelly and I enjoyed playing that, taking these risks together and we love that.”
Reilly also added:
“You know what they say, what people’s opinion of you or your acting, or your character, or none of your business, you just carry and sink into your work as truthfully and authentically as you can, and hopefully keep it alive, and then you’re letting it go.
You don’t know what people are gonna say, and I try not to listen to too much of it, because the show’s gotten so big and it’s hard to escape, but Beth, she’s a pretty polarizing character.
I have some people who think she’s America’s sweetheart, and other people who think she’s a monster, and neither are wrong, you know? And I enjoy having both feet in light and dark shades… Everyone she (Beth) loves, she loves so fiercely, and I think that’s a beautiful quality, and if you’re also an enemy of hers, then you don’t want that.”
Costner also hilariously weighed in on his dad’s reaction from the beginning of the show, up to this point:
“My dad passed away this year, my mom too within seven months of each other, took a big interest in my career, and he said, ‘You’re gonna lose your audience fella.
That is a naughty show. They’re gonna drift away son… You mark my words that’s naughty.
And I just look at my dad and say ‘Oh my God.’ And a few years later he goes ‘The nurses wanna know how it ends.'”
As Kelly Reilly pointed out, the late, great Mr. Costner wasn’t wrong about it being a “naughty” show per se, but Kevin sure as hell didn’t lose his audience. If anything he may have even further cemented his legacy as one of the best to ever do it.
I mean, who doesn’t love a badass cowboy?
You can check out the full interview here:
Kevin Costner Initial Reaction To Yellowstone & Why He Loved The Script
Taylor Sheridan might be the most popular man in Hollywood.
And he tries to stay as far away from it as he can…
In a new interview with Variety, Taylor Sheridan weighed in on the success of Yellowstone, the empire he’s built, the recent influx of Westerns, and why he likes to film as far away from a Starbucks as he possibly can.
He admitted that he’s not flattered by the all the new Western shows trying to ride the Yellowstone coattails, since they’re motivated by numbers, not because they like the show. But at the end of the day, it’s all about authenticity.
And that’s what hooked A-list actor, and Dutton family patriarch, Kevin Costner (John Dutton) from the beginning. But also, he saw the potential from the very beginning:
“I don’t start something unless I think it has a chance to be great. I felt that the people that would see it would appreciate it. But when something gets this kind of extra kick… you can’t predict that.”
And after reading the pilot episode, he was in:
“I saw that the dialogue had a fun, realistic approach to it. It was raw. It was dysfunctional.
And it was set against the backdrop of mountains and rivers and valleys and people on horseback, which is very appealing.”
Ultimately, making movies and television shows is about telling stories… and the Yellowstone story is one that is still alive and well today. Minus all the murder… but nevertheless, the cowboy way of life is what puts food on the tables of America.
And Costner acknowledges that:
“Whether people want to admit it or not, some people don’t realize that that way of life is still alive. This meat doesn’t get to our cities without somebody getting up early in the morning and late at night taking care of those animals in some way.
It’s a way of life still. You know that the country still has some big open spaces. And Yellowstone takes that all in.”
Yellowstone Reportedly Brought Over $70 Million To Montana Economy Last Year
According to NBC, a University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) study has shown that Yellowstone has brought in over $70 million dollars to the state in the past year.
Filmed in the Bitterroot Valley, Season 4 of the Kevin Costner show added 527 permanent jobs in the state, not including the 624 Montana residents who were employed during filming as extras.
The numbers shake our to about $25.3 million in annual personal income for Montana households, and a whopping $85.8 million in additional gross receipts for Montana businesses and non-business organizations. Annual revenues of state government were higher by about by $10.6 million as well.
BBER Director Patrick Barkey says the show filming in Montana has been great for the economy:
“The production activities of ‘Yellowstone’ Season Four in Montana supported jobs and income well in excess of its own economic footprint, making Montana’s economy larger and more prosperous than it otherwise would have been.
The high-paying nature of the production-related jobs, and the considerable demand for locally produced goods and services, are the main reasons why the economic impacts were so sizable.”
The show spent about five months filming last year, which saw significant spending in areas like lodging and rental cars, veterinary and animal services, and more.
And of course, they doesn’t include what 1883 generated in the locations that it filmed.
Rent Rip Wheeler’s Cabin On The Real-Life Yellowstone Dutton Ranch
Yellowstone is the hottest shows on television right now and with the Season 4 wrapping up, and Season 5 about to start production, fans are dying to know what’s going to happen to the Dutton family.
And while the storyline of the show is compelling and the music is phenomenal (we’re talking about Cody Jinks, Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Whiskey Myers, and even Zach Bryan), the show features some of the most captivating settings in all of TV.
Set in the beautiful state of Montana, near Yellowstone National Park, the real-life Dutton Ranch is actually the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana.
And the best part? You can rent a cabin on the property.
That’s right people, if you’re a fan of the show Yellowstone, you can actually spend the night on the Dutton Ranch.
While you can’t stay in the Dutton home itself, the Chief Joseph Ranch does rent out two cabins on the property: the Ben Cook Cabin (which is Rip’s cabin in Season 1 and Casey’s cabin in Season 2) and the Fisherman’s Cabin (which is Lee’s cabin in Season 1 and Season 2).
Each cabin sleeps 8 guests and has a full kitchen and a grill. The cost is $1500 per night (includes up to 4 guests) and $50 per night per each additional guest.
You can contact them on their website to find the availability, but right now, with them still filming the show for the foreseeable future, you’re going to have to book them well in advance.
I mean, is there better way to experience the great state of Montana, the great outdoors, AND get your Yellowstone fix? I don’t think so.
And right now, you can actually WIN a trip to stay there for FREE.
I mean, look at this place.
Start planning next year’s vacation.
Want a closer look? Paramount Network shared a video taking you inside the real Dutton Ranch.
If you’re as stoked as I am for the music of Season 5, you MUST be following our Yellowstone: The Soundtrack playlist, available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Featuring EVERY SINGLE SONG from the series, we make sure we update it in real time, so every Sunday night, all the new stuff is right there.
