Yellowstone: Why Is Kevin Costner at the Center of Controversy?
The lead star of the Western series Yellowstone, Kevin Costner, is in the middle of some controversies between the show's writer.
Yellowstone is quite a popular series on Paramount+ and Peacock. There is no denying the overwhelming praise that the show has. Of course, no production is without its dramas and controversies. Plenty of stars and creators on the show have been called out for their stands on certain politics, like the creator of the show slamming Donald Trump with slander or Kevin Costner facing criticism for being a Republican but showing support for Democratic candidates. Speaking of Costner, he is currently wrapped up in a new controversy of his own.
The off-screen drama of Yellowstone is almost as entertaining as the show itself. With the current drama with Costner, fans are wondering about the future of the show, specifically for the remainder of season 5. Spreading rumors about the actor has left fans wondering when the rest of season 5 will stream at all. So what exactly is going on with Costner in Yellowstone? What is the current controversy surrounding him? Before we get into that, let’s briefly discuss the end of Yellowstone.
Will Costner Return After Season 5?
It’s best to go ahead and address the elephant in the room. Time to rip off the band-aid: Kevin Costner will not return to Yellowstone after season 5. The reasons why will be explained shortly. It’s a shame since he has been the show’s star throughout these five seasons.
Yellowstone will end with season five come November of this year. It has been confirmed, however, that there will be a spin-off series with Matthew McConaughey. Sadly, such a great series is ending prematurely. This might be the best for everyone involved, though. And we will get a brand-new show written by Taylor Sheridan within the Yellowstone universe, so maybe this is a win-win situation.
Scheduling Issues and Rumors
The spreading rumors of Costner’s controversy have to do with scheduling issues. This doesn’t seem like a big deal at first. And it is not the first time an actor has had scheduling problems with directors or creators. In Costner’s case, however, the rumors are more complicated, with a strange back-and-forth of things that have been said.
The actor reportedly wanted to reduce the number of days filming on location. He limited himself to only being on set for 50 days for the first eight episodes of the fifth season. He also reportedly wanted to spend a week filming the remaining six episodes. The schedule conflicts have become frustrating to Sheridan and have caused issues with other stars of the show. There was no reason given as to why Costner would suddenly limit his days to film.
While Costner has not openly discussed these allegations, his lawyer Marty Singer has. Singer has expressed the ridiculousness of the reports about his client. He even goes as far as to state that “the idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of season five of Yellowstone
He continues that anyone suggesting these rumors is not to be believed and that Costner is “incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success.” Still, Costner has not mentioned anything about the rumors himself. Could they be true? Is the actor to blame for the premature end of Yellowstone?
Ongoing Conflict with Co-Creator
Costner is in this controversy mainly because he has had ongoing complications with Yellowstone’s co-creator Taylor Sheridan. The problems between the two were heavily implied throughout the production of season five. There has been tension between the two since the very first season. The tension goes so far that Costner’s longtime assistant Glenn Kleczkowski insulted Sheridan’s other project, Tulsa King, insisting that the writer should “stick to westerns.” Other than that, one of the biggest issues between Costner and Sheridan is scheduling problems (as mentioned before).
But the overall problem does not just affect the actor. And some say that the production holdup is not Costner’s fault. The reason for the delays comes from some of the writers and producers. One of them most likely being Sheridan. Producers and writers will have other projects in the works, which means scheduling issues will occur.
Costner is the one who is upset by the delays, especially since he has his own family to look after. Plus, he recently divorced his wife of 18 years, so the production halt must have put a damper on his mood toward Sheridan. We will ask again: is Kevin Costner really to blame for the end of Yellowstone? Who is at fault here?
Needless to say, the end of Yellowstone is upon us. Though some stars like Wes Bentley have said that the drama is over nothing, the controversy was enough for Costner to cut ties after the fifth season. Or for Sheridan to make a whole new series whether the main star continued to play his role or not. As upsetting as it is, this is not at all surprising, given the evidence and rumors. We can only hope that the spin-off series will be just as good as Yellowstone. And that the Costner controversy will cease as well.
