It's been a few weeks now since we heard the news of Yellowstone ending, but that doesn't make it any easier!
And while there have been numerous reports of conflicts surrounding Kevin Costner and his involvement in the series, we've yet to hear from the show's creator and show runner himself. That is...until now!
Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone, has officially broken his silence in a recent profile with The Hollywood Reporter. Sheridan touched on Yellowstone officially ending after season 5 part 2, but he also spoke about Kevin Costner’s drama-filled departure, John Dutton's ultimate fate on the series finale, and the spinoff series (potentially starring Matthew McConaughey) that everyone is talking about.
It doesn't take a diehard fan to know that Costner plays the leading role on Yellowstone. He's the head of the Dutton ranch, patriarch of his well-known family, and governor of Montana.
It was first reported that Costner wanted to leave Yellowstone so he could fully immerse himself in his upcoming four-part Western saga, Horizon. Costner is said to be a co-writer, producer, and director on the project, which he is also heavily promoting on his personal social media accounts.
Discussing Costner's abrupt exit, Sheridan had a bit to say:
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it.”
Sheridan goes on to state that he still has positive opinions of Costner "as an actor," and that his work as John Dutton is "symbolic and powerful." Going even further, Sheridan explained that whenever he and Costner had an issue, they were able to find a solution to it over a phone.
While we don't yet know how Sheridan plans on navigating John Dutton's sudden exit, he assures us that it will be thought out.
As John Dutton's time on our screen comes to an end, there's still much in store for the Yellowstone storyline.
Sheridan hasn't yet written or started production on Yellowstone season 5 part 2 due to the ongoing writer's strike, but he plans to get the ball rolling once that's settled.
Even after the series ends, fans are still looking at a spinoff that is said to star many of Yellowstone's original cast and characters, and will likely see Matthew McConaughey as its lead.
“He seems like a natural fit,” Sheridan says. “We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching Yellowstone and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’”
If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that we haven't seen the last of Taylor Sheridan shows!
Josiah Soto is the assistant editor of news and social for The Pioneer Woman. He helps manage the website’s social channels, in addition to writing high-performing news and entertainment content daily.
