Yellowstone CANCELED Amid Kevin Costner Drama; Paramount Orders Sequel Series
Earlier this week, Kevin Costner was served with divorce papers by his wife of 18 years.
It appears to be a rough time in the actor’s personal life.
Now, meanwhile, we can confirm that the veteran star is also going through a split in his personal life.
On Friday, Paramount announced that Yellowstone will end its five-year run after it returns in November and then airs its final set of episodes.
The series is the most popular show on television… and yet numerous reports over the past few weeks claimed that Costner has been clashing with creator Taylor Sheridan over just how many days he wants to work.
A rep for Costner denied that his client was refusing to remain on set for more than a week at a time, attempting to shoot down the speculation as follows:
“The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of season 5 of Yellowstone is an absolute lie,” this statement read.
“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.”
We don’t know for certain if the Costner controversy led to the cancelation of Yellowstone, but Chris McCarthy, president and CEO Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said on Friday:
“Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits — from 1883 to Tulsa King.
“I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life.”
Previously, we had heard that a forthcoming Yellowstone sequel will feature Matthew McConaughy in the lead role.
But this has not yet been confirmed.
“The Dutton story continues, picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale,” added David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios, which produces the series.
“We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world.”
Costner, 68, has starred as patriarch John Dutton III since Yellowstone debuted in June 2018.
It seems notable that he wasn’t mentioned at all in today’s press release.
News of the show’s conclusion comes just a few days after Costner’s wife, Christine Baumgartner, filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage.
There was even chatter online that she did so because Costner got a staffer on set pregnant, but this appears to be false.
Yellowstone already has a list of prequel and spin-off series, including 1883, 1923 and 6666.
The original drama tells the story of the Dutton family, who have owned and operated America’s largest ranch for six generations.
Viewers have been show how turmoil and local enemies threaten the ranch’s success. Moreover, the personal lives of the Dutton brood has also been explored at length.
As of this writing, Yellowstone Season 5 part 2 doesn’t have an official release date yet.
Neither does Paramount’s just-announced sequel.
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