This summer, Kevin Costner will return to the Western genre as both star and director with “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” (and the movie will debut at Cannes). But for fans of all things Costner, “Horizon” is essentially the reason why his hit TV series “Yellowstone” is ending. Last year, Costner had a very public falling out with show creator Taylor Sheridan and Paramount Television, essentially over his Western film. Costner wanted so much time away from his hit series to direct his film (plus making other demands) that a frustrated Sheridan threw his hands in the air, essentially gave up, and decided to move on. It all culminated with the massively popular Montana-set family drama series ending prematurely. The fifth and final season is supposed to shoot this summer, air in the fall, end the series, and then pivot to an entirely new series with some of the same characters (and may or may not star Matthew McConaughey).
READ MORE: ‘Yellowstone’: Michelle Pfeiffer May Join Spin-Off, But Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly & Luke Grimes Are Question Marks Over Money
While it all seems too late while speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Costner says he was under the impression that “Yellowstone” would continue for seven seasons, and he hopes to resolve the matter somehow and fix the bad blood that reportedly exists between him and Sheridan.
“I’d like to be able to do it, but we haven’t been able to,” Costner said. of figuring out how to mend fences on “Yellowstone.” “I thought I was going to make seven [seasons], but right now we’re at five. So how it works out—I hope it does—but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on. Maybe it will. Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I’d love to do it.”
How exactly that would even work—given Costner’s John Dutton patriarch has been reportedly written out of the final season—is very much up in the air and perhaps wishful thinking. “I’ve kind of had my own fantasy how it might [end], but that’s Taylor [Sheridan’s] thing,” Costner added. “I said as much to him a while back. I had thoughts about how it could happen, but we just have to see.”
Costner might be extending an olive branch in the press, but he’s already openly discussed suing over this whole debacle which surely hasn’t helped. Unless something changes in the eleventh hour, Paramount has already publicly announced the end of “Yellowstone” and a new spin-off series without him. For them to suddenly renege on that plan and fix things with their star—reportedly difficult to deal with and not a team player—seems highly unlikely.
As for that spin-off series, last we heard, McConaughey might star, Michelle Pfeiffer could co-star, and “Yellowstone” fan favorites Beth and Rip (Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser) may also join the ensemble. However, much of it still seems up in the air, and frankly, a lot of it is major behind-the-scenes drama.
Meanwhile, “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” will be released by Warner Bros. on June 28 and the second part in August. The final season of “Yellowstone” is expected to air this November, that is, if the show does shoot this summer as initially planned.