‘Yellowstone’ creator disappointed by show ending and Kevin Costner’s exit.

Taylor Sheridan Reveals Thoughts on the End of “Yellowstone”

Passion Projects and Departures

Taylor Sheridan, creator of the hit series “Yellowstone,” recently sat down for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the show’s upcoming conclusion and the departure of lead actor Kevin 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,” Sheridan said.

A Surprising Decision

Fans were shocked when Costner chose to leave the show at its peak popularity, with multiple spinoffs and new projects in the works. However, Sheridan revealed that Costner had his own Western-style project in development for 35 years and wanted to focus on that instead of continuing with “Yellowstone.”

A Symbolic and Powerful Character

Sheridan expressed his admiration for Costner’s portrayal of John Dutton and emphasized that his opinion of Costner as an actor remains unchanged. However, he acknowledged the challenges that arise when lawyers get involved in negotiations, leading to miscommunication and blame-shifting.

“He took a lot of this on the chin and I don’t know that anyone deserves it,” Sheridan said. “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.”

A Truncated Closure

Sheridan expressed disappointment that Costner’s departure would affect the closure of his character, John Dutton. While it doesn’t change the character’s fate, it does truncate the storytelling process.

Future Spinoffs and Episodes

Sheridan confirmed that more spinoffs are in the works, with a potential involvement of Matthew McConaughey. As for the original “Yellowstone” series, Sheridan hinted that the second half of the fifth season could have more than six episodes, depending on the narrative needs.