Yellowstone is currently the most successful US series. But even though many Germans are only just discovering the phenomenon through the release of the first 3 seasons on Netflix, it is still there Series hit at the same time in its deepest crisis. And that worries me as a fan of the Western universe.
There are many reasons to get excited about Yellowstone when intrigue, strong characters and beautiful landscapes go hand in hand in a modern western tale. But when the Dutton family’s machinations are overshadowed by the filmmakers’ real-life disputes, the series has a problem. Also because this will soon be reflected in the quality. And Yellowstone really doesn’t deserve that.
The Yellowstone Crisis Explained in Brief with Kevin Costner
The bad news reached us as early as May 2023: Despite its success, the series Yellowstone will be abruptly canceled after season 5. The reason is one Noise behind the scenes And the focus here, as unfortunately all too often, is on the cheap money.
Paramount
Ready to bury Yellowstone?
What exactly happened at Yellowstone? Lead actor Kevin Costner, with his star status boosted by Yellowstone, is able to film his passion project, the western epic Horizon. However, this leaves him less time for the series about the Dutton family, whose patriarch he plays. He is said to have demanded more pay and less filming time on Yellowstone, which angered series creator Taylor Sheridan. As a result, it looked like a quick demise for Costner’s character. Meanwhile, the upcoming second half of season 5 is supposed to end the series entirely. Probably without the star.
Kevin Costner then threatened to sue the Yellowstone creator because he was charged for the unfinished season 5 and the canceled seasons 6 and 7 A $24 million fee had been promised. Meanwhile, three other main actors are also demanding a higher salary, while series creator Sheridan makes a lot of money for using his land as a filming location. Oh, and Cole Hauser was sued by Taylor Sheridan because his coffee brand’s font appears to be too similar to the Sheridan Ranch logo. In short: There is obviously a stink between the creator and the stars.
Has Yellowstone’s success been its downfall?
Who is more unpleasant: the one who demands more money for less work or the one who perhaps doesn’t want to pay his stars enough? And what exactly is “enough” in the film business? As an outsider without insight into deeper motives, I don’t want to take a side. Because of this I feel like a child of divorcewhich suffers from the overall situation.
Paramount
Yellowstone Cowboys: Rip, Kayce and John Dutton
Because the beautiful rise story of Yellowstone, which was once rejected by HBO only to become a hit series on Paramount Network and Paramount+, is getting one bitter aftertaste. The two spin-offs 1883 and 1923 recently impressed as successful western stories and cemented the quality of the Yellowstone universe.
In my euphoria about the Dutton family’s successful prequel series, I sometimes forget that the last Yellowstone episode (the midseason finale of season 5) aired in the USA in January 2023. One more than 12 months break in the middle of a season is not a normal waiting time. It is questionable whether the remaining six episodes of the fifth season will actually come in 2024. These are bleak omens for the series finale of Yellowstone.
The Yellowstone dispute can only have a negative impact on the series’ story
After the marathon run that Yellowstone had as a hit show with two spin-offs currently released and three more planned, the main series stumbles in the last few meters. And no matter how successful the daughter series become, the tarnished reputation of the mother series will not leave them unscathed either.
Especially if the argument causes that Yellowstone end frayed, instead of leaving with a well-thought-out bang. How are the final episodes supposed to save the rushed finale when half the cast goes on strike? It can only be unsatisfactory if the family patriarch John Dutton is written out of the series during the season break. (It is questionable whether Kevin Costner’s latest signal about a Yellowstone return after the escalated dispute at Taylor Sheridan falls on fertile ground.)
Paramount
Yellowstone soon without Beth?
The announced sequel series in 2024 was actually supposed to continue the Dutton story with well-known family members. But suddenly the involvement of Costner’s replacement Matthew McConaughey is no longer certain. Since Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser and fan favorite Kelly Reilly are also dissatisfied with their salaries, it seems to completely break up the Dutton nuclear family. But what is left for me as a fan if the most important stars leave the series universe? A legal series with Wes Bentley’s Jamie Dutton and his daddy issues who no longer have a daddy?
I now fear that Taylor Sheridan will simply kill the entire present-day Dutton clan in order to end this unpleasant dispute once and for all and forestall rising salaries. After all, he created enough spin-offs and prequels to continue Yellowstone in other eras. However, unfinished or “incorrectly” ended stories can even fall on the feet of series giants (see: Game of Thrones). If this dispute ends up being that The legacy of an actually excellent story is destroyedthat would really be a shame.