Posted in: Paramount+, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: kevin costner, paramount network, season 5, taylor sheridan, yellowstone

Yellowstone: Kevin Costner Will "Probably Go to Court" Over Exit

During his divorce hearing on Friday, Kevin Costner offered more of his perspective on the growing tension with Yellowstone producers.

Unlike dozens of other productions that are in holding patterns until the AMPTP wises up and does right by SAG-AFTRA and WGA, Taylor Sheridan & Paramount Network's Yellowstone has its own behind-the-scenes drama to get past – one that could end up in court. Over the past few months, we've been reporting on the growing tensions between series star Kevin Costner and Sheridan & the show's producers that call further into question when viewers will learn the resolution to the war between John Dutton (Costner) & Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie (Wes Bentley). And that's not taking into consideration the Matthew McConaughey spinoff waiting in the wings. On Friday, during a Santa Barbara court hearing in his divorce case involving his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner, Costner revealed during testimony that he will "probably go to court" over his exits from the series (based on court reporting & sources) – a suit that would mostly be filed against 101 Studios and Paramount Global (parent company of the Paramount Network).

Asked by Baumgartner's attorney, John Rydell, if he was offered a sixth season, Costner responded that the matter was "complicated" – sharing that he was offered $24M for Seasons 5-7. "We did negotiate," Costner said – adding that there "were issues about creative" in conversations he had with Sheridan and the producers. "I tried to break the logjam. They walked away," he claimed. Costner also claimed that the producers "wanted to change things" with filming "somewhere along the line" that would've impacted his postproduction work on the Warner Bros & New Line film Horizon (a Western that Costner is directing and starring in). "They wanted to do [Season] 5A and 5B; [it] affected 'Horizon.' I was going to do my movie 'Horizon' and leave that show, do my movie, then do B. A show I was only doing once a year; I was now doing twice," Costner also shared during his testimony.

Taylor Sheridan "Disappointed" by Kevin Costner Situation

In a profile interview with The Hollywood Reporter from June, Sheridan addressed a number of issues related to Costner and where things stood at that point – and how things had come to sour over time:

On The Last Time That Sheridan Spoke with Costner: "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 [his preferred exit date],' which we did."

On How Things Soured Between All Parties Involved: "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. His movie seems to be a great priority to him, and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it's a good one." Sheridan added, "I'm disappointed. It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn't alter it, but it truncates it."

On Season 2 Debate with Costner Regarding Character Direction: "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 [Dutton's] commitments to his family and way of life. Dutton's big failing is not evolving with the times — not finding different revenue streams [for the ranch]. 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. And I recall him winning a Golden Globe last year for his performance, so I think it's working."

On If He Would Do Anything Different Re Costner: "I didn't do anything to begin with! I don't dictate the schedule. I don't determine when things start filming. I don't determine when things air. Those decisions are made by people way above me. My sphere of control is the content — that's it. No production of mine has ever waited on me. Believe me, I begged [for more time] with '1883.' I begged with '1923.' Begged. Nope, 'Airdate locked; for what we pay you, figure it out.' And I don't stand in a corner and go, 'I'm not going to do it.'"

Yellowstone: That Taylor Sheridan/Kevin Costner Report & More

In the Deadline Hollywood report from earlier this year, sources claimed that series star Costner's reportedly ever-decreasing filming schedule and disagreements over it were a major factor in the reported split between Sheridan and the actor. According to DH, Costner "had originally limited himself to 65 days of shooting" on the popular series and wanted "to shoot for 50 days for the first part of the current season [Season 5]." But for episodes that remain in the current fifth season, it's reported that Costner was only looking to spend "a week shooting." The report alleges that Costner's shooting schedule "has been a source of frustration for Sheridan" and that it has resulted in "morale problems" among the cast. In the Puck reporting, representatives & sources on Costner's behalf pushed back on those accusations, saying that the actor more than met what was required of him.

Continuing on, the DH report also claimed that the decision to move on with a new show was made after Paramount Network declined Costner's most recent proposal. It's still unclear who, if anyone, from the original series would join the new chapter of the popular franchise if it materializes. In addition, it is still unclear if the series will be set on the on-screen family's Montana ranch or a new location. The new series would begin its run on the cable channel Paramount Network and then stream exclusively on Paramount+. For its part, a Paramount Network spokesperson issued the following response at the time: "We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone, and we hope that's the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we'd love to partner."

Shortly after, a legal representative for Costner pushed back on the claims being leveled against the actor in a statement to Puck. "The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of 'Yellowstone' is an absolute lie," said attorney Marty Singer in their statement. "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." A rep for Paramount responded to Singer's comments: "As we previously stated, Kevin [Costner] has been a key component of the success of our 'Yellowstone' series, and we hope that continues from here on out."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!