Television
Is Matthew McConaughey’s ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff happening?
Paramount president and CEO Chris McCarthy gave an update on the ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff, but didn’t say anything about Kevin Costner’s future.
It looks as though there is finally news on whether the ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff starring Matthew McConaughey is actually going to happen.
Is Matthew McConaughey’s ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff happening?
The latest is that the series featuring McConaughey is moving forward, regardless of what happens with Kevin Costner.
Costner, who stars as the head of the Dutton family, John Dutton, has reportedly asked to have his shooting schedule drastically reduced according to Deadline.
As a result, he could leave the series in order to focus on his own multi-part western epic, ‘Horizon’, which he co-wrote with Jon Baird and landed at Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount president and CEO Chris McCarthy revealed that the new spinoff featuring McConaughey will move forward regardless of whether Costner stays or goes.
He also added that the spinoff is just one of several projects aimed at expanding the ‘Yellowstone’ franchise. McCarthy says that it is one of more than 10 projects he has with creator Taylor Sheridan, the man behind ‘1883′ and ‘1923′, on Paramount Network and Paramount+.
Costner’s future remains unclear
McCarthy didn’t comment on Costner’s future, but did add that the drama “wouldn’t be what it is today without Kevin and we hope that that stays for a long time to come.”
Yellowstone is currently the most-watched show on cable and broadcast.
Following the report from Deadline, Puck News reported that along with scheduling issues, there were problems regarding pay and personal friction between key members on ‘Yellowstone’.
Wes Bentley, who stars as Jamie Dutton, recently spoke about the drama on the set of the hit show as well.
However, Costner’s attorney, Marty Singer, later denied reports regarding her client’s scheduling requests.
“The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of season 5 of Yellowstone is an absolute lie. It’s ridiculous,” Singer stated.
“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.”
Paramount Network also denied those reports, releasing a statement that read: “As we previously stated, Kevin has been a key component of the success of our Yellowstone series, and we hope that continues from here on out.”