Taylor Sheridan’s “Reputation for being a jerk with a ‘God Complex'” is Why Matthew McConaughey Has Considered Walking Away from Yellowstone Spinoff (Report)

Taylor Sheridan may not have much to offer in terms of acting experience but when it comes to crafting masterpieces from words, he may as well be the Picasso of television. With a perception of human complexities and an understanding of the nature of human psychology, Sheridan has woven together an oeuvre of films and TV series unparalleled in their sheer scale and gravity.

However, over time, the market for his works has exponentially increased, leading to Paramount sanctioning a multitude of shows that have taken up space and time that no one can singlehandedly commit to. Apart from the uncalled-for tension between the cast and Sheridan, the Yellowstone director’s reputation has definitely preceded him to a point where it has now become a matter of concern instead of honor and respect.

Taylor Sheridan Trapped Between Rock and a Hard Place

The ups and downs over the past 7 years since the launch of Yellowstone with Kevin Costner are worthy of being made into a documentary itself. However, the biggest takeaway from the situation is that the unprecedented backlash and fallout have not only negatively impacted business but also scared away potential prospects for the future.

Reports about Matthew McConaughey joining the team at Paramount came as good news initially after Kevin Costner began to prove too volatile for the studio system. Costner’s very public divorce and his own 40-year-old agenda regarding the Western passion project stood in the way of Taylor Sheridan‘s otherwise smooth ride to the end of the line.

As such, the news of Yellowstone giving way to a new spin-off show helmed by Sheridan’s Texan brother, Matthew McConaughey seemed to be a gift-wrapped solution that came with no strings attached. However, recent developments suggest that even securing McConaughey could prove difficult for the studio due to some unsavory rumors about Taylor Sheridan’s in-house work ethic.

Matthew McConaughey Might Reject Taylor Sheridan Series

Matthew McConaughey is not one to sugarcoat his words and demands when stepping on board a new project. His reputation in the big leagues is well-known enough for studios to already meet his asking price from the get-go. But in the case of the Yellowstone spin-off, several factors need to be accounted for before considering signing onto the show for good.

Primarily, the scheduling, salary negotiations, and behind-the-scenes powerplay have been dampening the deal for McConaughey, as was revealed by an insider in an exclusive interview with Life & Style Magazine:

Matthew can’t book movie work that is going to potentially overlap with the show. But he still doesn’t have clarity on when exactly this job would even start. He wants to make the deal — it’s become this incredibly drawn-out process. No deal has ever taken this long for Matthew. Especially after he won his Oscar, getting folks to meet his asking price has been a breeze.

However, that may not be the only reason behind Matthew McConaughey’s hesitance to jump on board Taylor Sheridan’s next Yellowstone project. The insider also revealed: “Taylor’s got a reputation for being a jerk with a ‘God complex.’ Matthew doesn’t particularly like behind-the-scenes drama.”

With the status of the upcoming Yellowstone show unclear, the remainder of the series episodes have already headed into production despite no specific mention of Kevin Costner’s involvement in it. However, during a recent press tour promoting Horizon: An American Saga, Costner did hint at his possible return to the show in the hopes of a mutual reconciliation and mediation of the matter.

Yellowstone is available for streaming on Paramount+