We have some shocking news about the future of Yellowstone, and you’re going to want to sit down for this one.
A stunning new report emerged Monday from Deadline that revealed that the hit Paramount Network drama is coming to an end.
The outlet dished that Taylor Sheridan, co-creator and showrunner, Paramount Global and Paramount Network are gearing up to end the series in its current form.
Because Yellowstone has turned into one of the biggest franchises on TV, the Dutton saga will not end there.
A new show with Matthew McConaughey as the lead is in the works.
The new series would be a “franchise extension,” according to Deadline, and that’s not all…
Several Yellowstone stars are expected to sign on for the new series.
Yellowstone is one of the biggest shows on TV, so you would think it would be on the air for years to come.
The reason for the plans to end the series?
Deadline alleges that series star Kevin Costner has had disagreements over shooting schedules.
The star had been limiting himself to 65 days of shooting per season and racked up 50 days with the first half of Yellowstone Season 5.
Furthermore, the outlet states that Costner, who recently won best actor at the Golden Globes, only wants to shoot for one week of the second half of the season.
That would not amount to many scenes, meaning that John Dutton’s presence would be minimal.
If you watch Yellowstone online, you know John is the glue that holds all of the wild plots together, so this would be a tremendous departure.
The issues surrounding the shooting have reportedly caused problems between the cast, which includes Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham.
Deadline says that Costner approached Paramount with a proposal to appear in a limited capacity in the final episodes of the season.
Still, the outlet states that Paramount is now looking at ending Yellowstone to begin work on a new series with some of the biggest stars from the current series.
“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,” a Paramount Network spokesperson told Deadline.
“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.”
For now, Yellowstone is set to return to Paramount Network this summer, but it could be delayed if the drama behind the scenes continues.
Yellowstone has birthed record-breaking spinoffs in 1883 and 1923, so it appears to be the case that Paramount thinks the franchise can thrive without the main series.
What are your thoughts on the news?
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Remember, you can watch Yellowstone online right here via TV Fanatic.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.