A lot of people want more, as the saying goes, and maybe Kevin Costner is the one personifying that phrase right now. At least if the rumors that it became impossible to work with the actor are true. So much so that the fifth season of Yellowstone It looked for a while like it should end early, as Paramount and Costner were at odds over the schedule, in which he wanted to reduce the contracted shooting time from 65 days to 50 for the first half of the season and just one week for the remaining eight episodes. This is said to have caused the director a lot of trouble. Taylor Sheridan and this also caused the displeasure of the other actors, who consider that the star has too big an ego. The disagreements reportedly led Sheridan to consider ending the series after five seasons and moving on to a new series starring Matthew McConaughey. Paramount later issued a statement in this regard:
“We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is an integral part of Yellowstone and we hope he will be for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are still working on expanding the franchise of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent that we would love to partner with.”
Kevin CostnerHe of course denied the rumor, saying there was nothing wrong with the collaboration, and sent his attorney the following statement in hopes of settling the argument:
“The idea that Kevin was only willing to work a week on the second half of Yellowstone Season 5 is an absolute lie. It’s ridiculous, and anyone who suggests it shouldn’t be believed for a second. Like all Those who know Kevin are well aware that he is passionate about the show and has always done everything to ensure its success.”
However, the conversation continues with new information which assures that it is not only a disagreement over the filming schedule and the dissatisfaction of the rest of the cast, but that there is also dissatisfaction over the salaries. . ET Canada interviewed Matthew Belloni, co-founder of Puck News and former editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter, and claims to have information that Costner will receive a major pay rise to cope with a sixth season. Kevin, who is already one of the highest paid in the television industry at around $12 million per episode, now wants $15 million to continue, which would give him over $200 million for 16 episodes. However, it seems that the dispute is mostly about the actor demanding “overtime” pay, something that rarely exists in Hollywood for a top actor who is there to promote “his” movie or show. It’s a bit of an unspoken rule, that we get started and that we do what is necessary, even if a shoot is delayed. Especially when it comes to stars as well paid as in this case. In Belloni’s own words:
“According to my sources, Costner makes about $1.2 million per episode of Yellowstone, and that’s on top of an overall deal he has that’s making him extra money. So he’s making over $20 million per season if it’s 16 episodes, as planned for this season. If “Yellowstone” is picked up for a sixth season and Costner is on the show for season six, he’ll get $1.5 million per episode.
“Yellowstone’s way of shooting is that Costner comes on set for a period of time and takes the position that for anything not contractually bound to his time on set, he should be paid extra. But at Hollywood it’s kind of an unwritten rule that you promote your show or movie when it’s time costner would ask for extra money to promote his show and the producers saw it as a way to take money from a guy who was He was paying extraordinarily well for his services.
He also thinks it’s going to be tough for him to come back after all the behind-the-scenes drama, and has this to say about Costner’s future with Sheridan:
“I think the negativity right now has gotten to a point where it’s going to be very difficult for him to come back on the show. If I had to bet I’d say he’s probably going to leave and the show will end and they’ll do a remake of Yellowstone with Matthew McConaughey, another actor… maybe they’ll finish it entirely and start over with new people, but I guess the version of Yellowstone we know probably ends with this season.
It’s all rumor and conjecture, of course, with nothing confirmed or denied, but If the river makes noise it’s because the water is flowingas the old saying goes, and until all is cleared up, nothing seems to be able to pull Yellowstone out of limbo.