Yellowstone’s Josh Lucas Teases John Dutton & Multiple Characters Will Die in the Future of the Show

It has been a roller coaster past few months for Yellowstone.

First, it was rumored that Kevin Costner was leaving the show due to scheduling conflicts.

Then there were rumors that we may have to wait until November at the earliest to catch the rest of Season Five, and also there may be a spinoff series starring Matthew McConaughey in the works, featuring a lot of the original cast.

Last week, those rumors of a McConaughey spinoff series became true, as they officially confirmed that it was in the works, regardless of how the Costner thing shakes out.

On top of that, Paramount Exec Keith Cox admitted at the PaleyFest this past weekend that they are “very confident” Costner will be returning to the show, and that production for the second half of season five will begin “soon.”

So, it looks like we have both a McConaughey spinoff series, and the rest of Season Five to look forward to here in the future.

But speaking of the McConaughey spinoff series, one actor from Yellowstone recently expressed his excitement for the new series…

And it’s no other than Josh Lucas, who plays young John Dutton on the show.

Lucas expressed his excitement for the new project at PaleyFest this past weekend, telling ET:

“I’m always so fascinated to see what Taylor (Sheridan) is doing as he tells the story.

The thing that moves me or surprises me most is that every time I think something is too crazy or too fantastical, it turns out it’s based on a true story from Taylor’s life or from something that is very close to the cowboys that all of this story is about or the family that he knows he’s telling.

I’m sure he has great ideas how these characters merge together. Part of the mystery of the mind of that creator is waiting for it to be unleashed in a way. Hell yeah. Bring it on.”

It will be interesting to see just where McConaughey will fit in the Dutton family saga.

And in an interview with People, Lucas also believes that John Dutton is going to die at some point in the show, saying he thinks Taylor Sheridan has:

“Always planned on at some point, having Kevin die and having multiple characters die.

And so you know, that’s just the evolution of what the ranch is. That’s why when you see the cemetery and you see the names Elsa and you see the names of Jacob and you see these names, I think it’s of course going to evolve and change.

And I think that’s what hopefully people will really like as it goes.”

Dawn Olivieri (Sarah Atwood) piggy backed off Lucas’ statements, saying:

“I’ve already been killed once. I’m coming back to life. It happens to the best of us. I don’t know what’s going to happen with him. I hope I get the chance to work with him. I do.

But I can’t put money on Taylor writing something that we all hope that happens. If you hope (for) something, you might want to bet that he’ll write the opposite.”

Of course, she’s referring to her character Aunt Claire in 1883, who was killed in wagon train before then even got close to Montana.

So, I guess we’ll see if John Dutton gets killed off this season, considering the drama that’s gone on with film scheduling issues.

Paramount Network Finally Addresses the Future of ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2

Rumors that Kevin Costner may depart the Paramount Network drama Yellowstone have been swirling for months — ever since a Deadline exclusive from February claimed that the show will end due to Costner’s scheduling conflicts. However, at a Yellowstone panel at PaleyFest on April 1, Keith Cox — Paramount’s president of development and production — gave a more positive outlook in regard to Costner’s future on the show.

“What I can say is our star, the face of our show and the executive producer, [we] are very confident he’s going to continue with our show,” Cox said at the event, at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The PaleyFest event itself brought up additional controversy surrounding the show. The panel was originally set to feature show creator Taylor Sheridan, Costner and fellow main cast members Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley and Gil Birmingham. On the day of the event, however, none of these cast members showed up, nor did Sheridan. They were replaced by cast members Mo Brings Plenty, Dawn Olivieri, Josh Lucas and Wendy Moniz.

According to USA Today, fans who attended the event showed their disappointment during the panel, and many of them asked for refunds afterward. The no-show event also furthered confusion regarding the show’s future, and the actors who attended didn’t offer additional clarity and have not been given estimated filming dates. But we at least know that the second half of the latest season will not be airing this summer as fans originally thought.

Mo Brings Plenty shared that he is optimistic about Costner’s return. “Kevin is very much a big part of the show and hopefully will continue to be for a very long time,” he said.

Moniz added that the actors themselves are still waiting on news about the next season.

“We’ve just been waiting and listening and wanting to get back to work, basically,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.

The initial Deadline report claimed that the current Yellowstone show as fans know it would end due to Costner’s shooting schedule — namely, that he could only commit one week to shooting the rest of season 5. But Costner’s attorney, Marty Singer, disputed this claim, calling it “an absolute lie.”

“It’s ridiculous — and anyone suggesting it shouldn’t be believed for one second,” Singer told Puck News. “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.”

It was also reported that Yellowstone would be replaced with a Matthew McConaughey-led spinoff. While it’s unclear if this new show will replace Yellowstone, Chris McCarthy, the head of Paramount Media Network, confirmed that a spinoff show featuring McConaughey is indeed underway.