Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan, two prominent figures in the entertainment industry, have been embroiled in a dispute over the television series Yellowstone.
The conflict came to a head during the latest season. Sheridan sought to broaden the show’s scope and explore the stories of other characters.
And well, Costner made other plans and has championed a lesser role for himself in the series. A decision that is reportedly not sitting well with the Yellowstone creator.
The issue has raised questions about the delicate conflict of egos between showrunners and the aging movie stars they now work within television.
Now, there are reports about Sheridan’s “God complex” behind the scenes
Who is to blame for the Yellowstone feud between Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan? Here is the latest information about the fighting inside the world’s most popular drama.
Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan feud — The background
This has been a media game of “Itchy vs. Scratchy” for months. Deadline first reported the conflicts in February, discussing the growing animosity over Costner’s demands for a shortened schedule. Initially, Costner was set for a 65-day shoot, but Deadline was informed the actor wanted a more narrow window of 50 days.
The motives were not outlined in the original report. However, the latest statements say the request was made to make room for Costner’s other project, Horizons.
The report also indicated because of this, Paramount chose to scrap the actor after the fifth season wrapped and move on with Matthew McConaughey as the lead.
Matthew Belloni at Puck also pointed out a humorous Instagram find involving Kevin Costner’s assistant Glenn Kleczkowski.
In the Instagram post, Kleczkowski aims at Sheridan’s television show Tulsa King (starring Sylvester Stallone), writing, “Stick to westerns, bro. You don’t know **** about THIS life. Stay in your lane, country boy. I’m actually embarrassed for you as a writer and creator.”
And we repeat, this is coming from Costner’s assistant. Imagine what Costner thinks about Sheridan.
Belloni adds that Costner sought to raise his pay per episode, which was already over 1.2 million each. This would add insult to injury if the actor truly expected a tighter filming schedule. That said, Costner’s lawyers denied that an income dispute was taking place.
This story is messy and gets messier all the time. There are no reports of when the second half of season five might air. The small tidbits of cast interviews express confusion over the series’ fate. And from the sounds of it, Sheridan might be stretching himself too thin running so many shows at Paramount.
And now more details switch all the blame at Taylor Sheridan, claiming he wields a massive ego.
Sources blame Taylor Sheridan for Yellowstone fallout
According to Daily Mail, a source told the site, “Certain people in charge of the production developed a God complex.” And while the quote does not directly finger-point Sheridan as the Messiah figure, the Daily Mail hints that it’s heavily implied.
The source also indicates that Costner was unhappy with certain creative choices and felt unheard as an executive producer on the show. Additionally, the source claims Costner was dismissed by one individual stating, “Stick to acting.”
On the one hand, we have Costner’s assistant telling Sheridan, “Stick to Westerns,” and on the other, we have a claim of Sheridan relating to Costner, “Stick to acting.”
Is this one person’s fault or a game of pot and kettle fighting angrily? Only time will tell.
Unless something changes, Kevin Costner remains on board as John Dutton III in Yellowstone for the rest of the fifth season. That said, filming has yet to resume for the rest of the series, meaning no release date is in sight.
Until then, stay tuned for more Yellowstone updates at Monsters and Critics.