When a show is one of the highest-rated series on television, it usually ends prematurely. However, Taylor Sheridan's hit may soon befall "Yellowstone."
Deadline is reporting that the series, which will relaunch the second part of its fifth season later this year, will soon finish in its current form. However, Sheridan and Paramount Global will continue the franchise — which has already launched prequel series "1883" and "1923" — through a new series about the Dutton family, with Matthew McConaughey in discussions to star.
“We have no news to report.” said a Paramount Network spokeswoman for IndieWire. “We hope that’s the case for a long time to come. ”Thanks to Taylor Sheridan's brilliant mind, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has created. Matthew McConaughey is a gifted individual with whom we’d like to partner.”
According to Deadline, the decision to put an end to the original "Yellowstone" program stems from issues with Kevin Costner, who plays Dutton patriarch John Dutton III. According to Deadline, Costner has had disagreements with the show's production over shooting schedules; initially, Costner demanded that the series be reduced to 50 days for the first episode, and for the second batch of episodes, he requested that he only film a week.
Costner's demands regarding his filming schedule have sparked discussion among him and Sheridan and his fellow cast members, with the Paramount Network declining to grant his permission to continue on to a different series in the franchise. Deadline says "big stars" from the previous show will move on to the new one.
"Yellowstone" has grown to be one of the most popular cable shows, with season 5 receiving 9.41 million viewers for its premiere, and subsequent episodes of the series gaining a 7-8 million viewers on linear viewers; two other unrelated shows are also in development, including "Lioness" with Nicole Kidman expected to premiere later this year.
Sheridan directs the show "Yellowstone" and co-creates the series with John Linson. The series is produced by 101 Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios and is executive produced by Sheridan, Costner, Linson, Art Linson, David C. Glasser, Bob Yari, and Stephen Kay.