Kevin Costner played John Dutton III, the patriarch of the Dutton family, owners of Montana’s largest ranch, Yellowstone, in the TV series of the same name. The series created by Taylor Sheridan was the first scripted series for Paramount Network. The network initially greenlit the production of ten episodes, and following the success of the first season, rolled out further seasons.
Recently, it was announced that the Yellowstone original series would conclude with its fifth season. However, filming for the same has been halted due to SAG-AFTRA strikes. The series has also spawned several prequels and a planned sequel, rumoredly starring Matthew McConaughey.
Harvey Weinstein Was Involved As A Producer In The Series
The infamous Harvey Weinstein, currently serving prison time for s*xual harassment convictions, was once involved in Yellowstone. Weinstein was one of the executive producers alongside John Linson, Art Linson, and David Glasser. Lead actor Kevin Costner and series creator Taylor Sheridan also served as executive producers. The Weinstein Company (TWC) was initially listed as one of the production companies involved in the series.
At the time, Sheridan had only a few independent but critically acclaimed projects under his belt as a screenwriter and director. Weinstein took an interest in Sheridan’s project after Costner was confirmed for the lead role. As he shared at the time, Weinstein and the Man of Steel actor had made a pact to work together on a project. Weinstein shared (via Deadline):
“Taylor Sheridan wrote a giant of a character in lead John Dutton. There was only one actor who could be transformational — Kevin Costner. This is a coup for the show and fulfills a joint promise that Kevin and I made — that we would find a mutual project to work on.”
As a first for the network, Paramount President Keith Cox was also excited about the project, especially with the involvement of a big star like Costner. The 3 Days to Kill actor had previously won a Primetime Emmy award for his performance as Devil Anse Hatfield in the miniseries Hatfields & McCoys.
Harvey Weinstein Was Later Removed From The Series
Following the s*xual harassment allegations that surfaced in October 2017, Harvey Weinstein was removed as an executive producer of the series. Although The Weinstein Company had been involved in the production, the company’s name and logo were removed from the series and its promotions entirely.
Paramount Network announced that once new management emerges from TWC and forms a new company, that name will be included in the current projects. At the time of the allegations, two Paramount series were produced by TWC – Yellowstone and Waco. Paramount President Kevin Kay addressed the concerns of the production staff from TWC, who had worked on both series, and stated (via Deadline):
“What happened there, what Harvey did is disgusting and disheartening. When we read about it, we talked with those involved with the series at the Weinstein Co. There are hundreds of people who worked on both Waco and Yellowstone and these people shouldn’t be penalized for what went on there. That has nothing to do with them and we want a safe workplace.”
However, TWC later declared bankruptcy, and all its assets were acquired by Lantern Entertainment. Yellowstone has only listed Linson Entertainment and Bosque Ranch Productions as producers for the first season. Yellowstone is now available for streaming on Paramount Network.
