Kevin Costner forces Yellowstone to end its run early

Yellowstone, about the life and times of a powerful ranching family in Montana, is the biggest show on network TV. Airing on the Paramount Network, the series has been going strong for over four seasons now, with Kevin Costner holding down the fort as Dutton family patriarch John Dutton.

Costner has a prominent role in the show, which apparently is causing some headaches. According to Deadline, the star at first limited himself to shooting for 65 days a year on the show. He only wanted to spend 50 days shooting the first half of season 5, which wrapped up on New Year’s Day last month. And for the upcoming back half, he only wanted to shoot for a week, possibly so he can focus on directing and starring in his western epic Horizon.

Given how important John Dutton is to the story, that’s kind of unworkable, and is reportedly causing morale problems for the other cast members, which include the likes of Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille and Gil Birmingham. What are creator Taylor Sheridan and his team to do?

Matthew McConaughey will replace Kevin Costner in the Yellowstone universe

Well, if this problem had come up earlier in the show’s run, the Yellowstone team may have had to work around Costner’s schedule. But thanks to successful spinoff shows like 1883 and now 1923, Paramount Network isn’t as dependent on Yellowstone as it once was. They have a Yellowstone universe to fall back on!

So Sheridan and co have decided to end Yellowstone a bit early — Deadline hears that it could conclude after the upcoming final episodes of season 5 — and go forward with yet another spinoff, this one starring Matthew McConaughey; the actor is currently in negotiations. It’s unclear if the McConaughey show would be set on the Dutton ranch in Montana or elsewhere.

And there are lots of other shows in the works in the Yellowstone universe. Bass Reeves, which is set around the time of 1883, would star David Oyelowo as the title character, the first Black deputy U.S. marshal. 6666 would be set on the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, which Yellowstone fans visited in season 4.

It’s odd for the star of a show this successful to force its end, but Yellowstone and its progeny aren’t going anywhere.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels