Aurora Starchild
The Yellowstone feud continues! Fans of the show are eagerly awaiting news of what in the world is happening with season 5. In the meantime, insiders are claiming that Kevin Costner and the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan are still at each other’s throats. Sheridan allegedly has a “God complex” and Costner was allegedly told to “stick to acting” after bringing up concerns about the direction of the show. It’s not the drama that we’ve hoped for, but at least it’s juicy!
Videos by Rare
The Kevin Costner – Taylor Sheridan Feud Has Been Ongoing For Months
Here’s what we know of the feud so far. Sometime around the holidays, one of Costner’s associates wrote a scathing review to Instagram about Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone and created by Taylor Sheridan. “Stick to westerns, bro,” wrote Glenn Kleczkowski. “You don’t know SH*T about THIS life. Stay in your lane, country boy. I’m actually embarrassed for you as a writer and creator.”
Puck News later reported that the nasty comment was only deleted after it came to the attention of both Sheridan and Paramount CEO Chris McCarthy. The outlet wrote that the “missive” had “exacerbated what has become a frayed and possibly severed relationship” between Sheridan and Costner, who is arguably the most important lead in the show.
Costner’s Attorney Denied That He Requested to Film All of His Remaining Yellowstone Season 5 Scenes in a Week
Deadline then reported in February that Kevin Costner had put in a request to squeeze the remainder of his scenes from season 5 into a single week. He had just won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role as John Dutton. But, per Deadline, Yellowstone’s higher ups didn’t agree to the request.
Then in an awkward and belated Golden Globe award “acceptance speech” filmed from home, Costner beat around the bush and didn’t name Yellowstone at all. It was strange, and seemed to give weight to the rumors that he and Taylor Sheridan aren’t getting along.
A week later, Costner’s attorney Marty Singer told Puck News that the actor never asked for permission to wrap up his character’s scenes in a single week.
“The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of season five of Yellowstone is an absolute lie,” Singer told the publication. “It’s ridiculous — and anyone suggesting it shouldn’t be believed for one second. As everyone who knows anything about Kevin is well aware, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success.”
Yellowstone Season 5 Seems to Be Hanging in Limbo
Meanwhile, it’s reported that Matthew McConaughey is set to join the Yellowstone universe sometime soon, possibly as a consolation prize for those mourning a potential Costner exit. McConaughey himself recently divulged that the character he’s set to play is basically a dream role.
As of now, the second half of Yellowstone’s season 5 hasn’t resumed filming and we don’t know when it will. Assuming it eventually happens, many are guessing that the conclusion of season 5 will present the show’s true finale, and that we might not ever see Costner as John Dutton again. The first half of the season premiered on November 13, 2022, and left us with some cliffhangers on January 1, 2023.
Sources Say Taylor Sheridan Is Spread Thin Due to All the Yellowstone Spin-Offs
Now the New York Post is reporting that, despite rumors of Kevin Costner making himself unavailable for work, it’s actually Taylor Sheridan’s fault.
Sources told the outlet that Sheridan’s “lack of preparation has caused major delays with the production of the show.” Another source said the creator’s “overburdened’ schedule” sidelined Costner’s availability. “Nothing was ready,” said the insider, adding that the scripts weren’t even finished.
It’s not necessarily that Sheridan doesn’t want to finish Yellowstone. According to Chris McCarthy, the superstar TV creator has his hands in many pots at the moment. McCarthy told Vulture back in March that “each year, we’re going to be launching at least one Yellowstone franchise as well as one complimentary series.” Those projects include 1883, 1923, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa, and the forthcoming Lioness, Bass Reeves, 6666, and 1944.
“Only Taylor truly knows what is going on,” another insider told The Post.
Kevin Costner Has Other Projects Lined Up
But Kevin Costner also has things to do and places to be. Last month, Rare reported that he had joined forces with History Channel to produce and star in an 8-part series tentatively called Kevin Costner’s The West. He’s also directing, producing, and starring in a 4-part epic Civil War western called Horizon. The period drama is in production and co-stars Jena Malone and Abbey Lee.
It’s safe to say that anyone who’s anyone in Hollywood has a full schedule and should have mutual respect for their creative partners’ busy lives, regardless of personal disagreements.
“It’s the same as with any showrunner and big star — there’s respect, but there’s friction,” a “well-placed production source,” told The Post.
Sources Say Taylor Sheridan’s Ego Has Led to a “God Complex”
Another insider added that Sheridan is letting his ego get in the way of working with his stars.
“Taylor is the star of his show. He’s the most important person on all of his shows,” they said.
Another source told the Daily Mail that Taylor Sheridan’s ego has gotten out of control.
“Certain people in charge of the production developed a God complex,” said the insider.
Sheridan Allegedly Dismissed Costner’s Concerns, Told Him to “Stick to Acting”
Kevin Costner has been an executive producer on Yellowstone in addition to playing the starring role. According to the Daily Mail’s insider, Costner hasn’t agreed on the direction that the show is going, but when he brought up his concerns, they were “dismissed” by Sheridan.
The insider added that Sheridan told Costner to “stick to acting.”
“Kevin will forever be proud of and grateful for Yellowstone and the cast is like family to him,” said the source. “He just felt like Yellowstone is headed in a direction that was not in line with their initial vision and he was met with criticism, including that he should just stick to acting.”
Oof!
