It’s truly hard to determine if there’s been more drama within the hit Paramount show Yellowstone or on the outside of it surrounding the show’s production.
Word started to spread early this year that season 5 of the hit show revolving around John Dutton would be delayed, then it was announced that the upcoming season would be Costner’s last, and since then, rumors have flown around about the possibility of Costner not even returning to the show.
Throughout it all, it has been clear that tension has been riding high between Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and lead man Kevin Costner. The mastermind behind the show has chosen to stay on the quiet side about the drama, besides one quote when he said that even during the Costner drama, he knows how Yellowstone will end.
Sheridan recently opened up in a lengthy interview with the Hollywood Reporter, and of course, the whole troubled relationship between the show’s creator and the show’s star came up. However, it seems like there is far less tension between Costner and Sheridan than is being reported by the media, or at least according to Sheridan, it’s that way.
Her first talked about the communication that he and Costner had surrounding Kevin’s big Western epic titled Horizon, of which the Yellowstone leading man is co-writing, directing, and starring in:
“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 (around you),’ which we did.”
So for those who have sided with Costner about scheduling conflicts, or even that Yellowstone kept pushing shooting dates back, it may seem that there are two sides to the story.
Sheridan has been put into a tough spot because the “show must go on,” but the person that drives the show appears to keep acting as a speed bump more than anything else.
Taylor voiced some harsh feelings regarding the situation while also sympathizing with Costner:
“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.”
Once the lawyers get involved, everything goes down hill… and no doubt, it’s left a mark on both the show and Sheridan and Costner’s ability to work together.
The Yellowstone director understands how much time and dedication to creating and running your own project, but is understandably disappointed with Kevin suddenly making Horizon his only priority when he still had the popular Paramount show to close out:
“His movie seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope it’s worth it, and that it’s a good one.
I’m disappointed. It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it.”
By saying that, Sheridan concedes that he has no choice but to wrap up the character of John Dutton, even though he still had plenty of story left to tell.
That being said, John Dutton was never going to see the end of the series, Taylor has known that from the beginning. Though things had to end at some point, being painted into a corner by Costner really gave Sheridan no choice but to expedite the show’s ending.
However, he isn’t just going to axe John Dutton because the film schedule didn’t work out. Even though that happened to him personally on Sons Of Anarchy:
“I don’t do fuck you car crashes. Whether (the story) inflates ego or insults is collateral damage that I don’t factor in with regard to storytelling.”
And though tension between the two Hollywood buffs has become public around season 5, it was reported that Costner and Sheridan had been butting heads since way back in season 2 of the show.
It was reported that Kevin didn’t like the direction of his character and was subsequently told by Sheridan to “stick to acting,” however Sheridan says that conversation never happened:
“I never had that conversation with Kevin. There was a time in season two when he was very upset and said the character wasn’t going in the direction he wanted.
I said, ‘Kevin, you do remember that I told you this is essentially The Godfather on the largest ranch in Montana? Are you that surprised that the Godfather is killing people?’ What he’s clung to is commitments to his family and way of life.’
Dutton’s big failing is not evolving with the times, not finding different revenue streams. Kevin felt season two was deviating from that, and I don’t know that he was wrong. In season three, we steered back into it.”
Sounds more like two visionaries hashing out the direction of the show, not the contentions “F you” that was initially reported. Although, Sheridan mentions in somewhat of a passive aggressive shot at Costner, though he had managed to stay pretty neutral throughout the rest of the conversation:
“And I recall him winning a Golden Globe last year for his performance, so I think it’s working.”
I’d say so…
The good news is that we might get a little bit more than the final six episodes scheduled for Season 5, which may or may not air this coming fall.
“If I think it takes 10 episodes to wrap it up, they’ll give me 10. It’ll be as long as it needs to be.”
