At 69 years of age, Kevin Costner leads by example in Hollywood in terms of his acting range and command of the skills. The veteran actor has acted, produced, and even directed several productions across various genres.
Famed for his gravitating on-screen persona, he has held commanding roles both as a lead and as a supporting member of the cast, with his versatility ranging from Waterworld and The Untouchables to Field of Dreams and Man of Steel.
The actor’s true merit and passion, however, are truly reflected in dramas that deal with the Wild West. A prime highlight of his career, Yellowstone, also pertains to this geography and period of time, allowing Costner to shine in the role and absolutely dominate with his acting masterclass.
Yet, as unfortunate as fate would have it, his outing got marred in brutal controversies involving unfavorable discussions with showrunner Taylor Sheridan. A report from the actor against the writer has now come forward to solidify his side of the case.
Kevin Costner blames Taylor Sheridan’s ambitions for Yellowstone fallout
Starting in 2018 with Kevin Costner as John Dutton, Yellowstone showcased his brilliance as well as the creative genius of Taylor Sheridan, who spearheaded the show’s development. Additionally, that combined teeth also added to the show’s themes of politics and family drama. Unfortunately, right before the fifth season’s complete culmination, a fallout between these two anchors of the show has now nearly left it hanging to fate.
A concerning report flew out in the open that blamed the actor’s near-obsession with his Horizon projects as the reason for the stand-off. However, sharing his side of the story, the lead actor, in talks with GQ Magazine blamed Sheridan’s fixation with curating spin-offs such as 1883 and 1923 for stretching the schedule to the point that the crew was left without a script for the second part, causing shoot delays.
The scripts never came. They still haven’t shot it. As far as I know. The scripts never came. And so then at one point they said to me that we don’t have an ending or anything.
The inflated timeline thus had an impact on Costner’s passion project of Horizon, angering him and leaving him to respond with,
I said, ‘Well, if you want to kill me, if you want to do something like that,’ I said, ‘I have a week before I start. I’ll do what you want to do.’
The sour chain of events has now left his return to season five part two uncertain and also likely cut down the show’s plan to continue with him for as long as seven seasons.
The Horizon franchise flaps its wings with acclaim
Kevin Costner thought of the idea for Horizon as far back as 1988. However, it was only in 2003 that he reached out to potential studios, including Disney, to build his idea into a reality with a single-film narrative. After years of conceptualization, the project received an official announcement in 2022, with casting beginning soon after, including the likes of Sienna Miller and Jena Malone.
Taking to the task of directing, producing, and starring in the film, Costner has now unraveled plans for a two-part feature film starting with Horizon: An American Saga. The first chapter finally premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and debuted to a seven-minute-long standing ovation. With a combined budget of $100 million, the first of the two films will take to a theatrical debut soon.
Yellowstone is available to stream on Paramount+, whereas Horizon: An American Saga–Chapter 1 releases on 28 June.
