The hit Paramount Network drama “Yellowstone” may be ending earlier than expected as show co-creator Taylor Sheridan eyes a new series starring Matthew McConaughey.
Sheridan and Paramount Global and Paramount Network are seeking to end the highly acclaimed “Yellowstone” in its fifth season, Deadline reported. The news comes as a shock to fans after actor Cole Hauser told Entertainment Tonight at the Golden Globes there would be a season six and seven before viewers said goodbye to the Dutton clan.
“I can tell you there will be [season] 6 and [there] will be a 7th, that’s all I can say,” Hauser said. “That’s all I can tell you.”
Sheridan also hinted at the possibility of at least a sixth season during season four of the hit show, telling Wide Open Country, “You have to keep moving forward, and there have to be consequences in the world, and there has to be an evolution toward a conclusion. Can that be another two seasons beyond this? It could.” (RELATED: Taylor Sheridan Only Told A Few Cast Members The Conclusion To ‘Yellowstone’ – Here’s Wha Luke Grimes Thinks)
‘Yellowstone’ Shocker: Kevin Costner Cowboy Drama Series To End As Taylor Sheridan Plots Franchise Extension With Matthew McConaughey https://t.co/4r81VpkowJ
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) February 6, 2023
At the heart of the issue is a disagreement over shooting schedules with series star Kevin Costner directing and starring in his own multi-part western epic “Horizon” while still attempting to eke out time for the Paramount drama, Deadline reported.
For the first part of season five, Costner originally limited himself to 65 days of shooting, but that changed to 50, according to the outlet. For the second batch of episodes in season five, that number was limited further to just a week, reportedly causing frustration with not just Sheridan but other cast members, the outlet stated.
This frustration led to Paramount Network reportedly declining Costner’s proposed shooting schedule and instead turning their attention to a new show led by McConaughey, Deadline reported. This has led many to speculate that “Yellowstone” will conclude as a series in the second half of the current season which is set to begin in the summer, the outlet stated.
“We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner,” a spokesman for Paramount told Deadline.
Though it is unclear where, or rather, when in Sheridan’s universe the new show will be set, McConaughey is reportedly already in negotiations, the outlet stated.