Kevin Costner hints Yellowstone could have ended very differently if he stayed
Yellowstone star Kevin Costner has disclosed that his vision for the hit Paramount Network drama’s ending was vastly different from the actual fate of the Dutton family.
The popular modern Western series created by Taylor Sheridan spanned five seasons, although the final run was complicated by Hollywood star Costner’s departure from his role as ranch owner John Dutton.
John met his demise at the beginning of the postponed second half of season five, leaving his children Beth (played by Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) to carry forward his legacy.
Whilst the main series has concluded, the Duttons’ saga will carry on in the forthcoming spin-off Marshals, featuring Grimes, and The Dutton Ranch, starring Reilly and Cole Hauser as Beth’s husband, Rip Wheeler.
However, before the Yellowstone franchise’s future was determined by Costner’s departure, he had his own concept for how the family’s narrative could wrap up, reports the Express.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the A-list actor described the programme as a “bit of a soap opera” and suggested the Duttons “should all be in prison”.
Naturally, it remains unclear whether showrunner Sheridan would have chosen Costner’s proposed ending had he stayed with the series through to the conclusion of season five.
It’s conceivable that Yellowstone’s soap opera style was exactly why Costner decided to depart.
He previously grumbled on Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast that the show was “too much like f***ing Dallas”, a popular CBS soap that aired from the late 1970s to early 1990s. Many viewers have drawn parallels between the two dramas, though it seems Costner intended for Yellowstone to portray its characters with more gravity.
If the show had been set in a more realistic environment, characters like John, Beth, Kayce and their wayward brother Jamie (played by Wes Bentley) could have faced far harsher consequences.
Since leaving the series, Costner has embarked on his own ambitious ventures, including the epic four-part historical Western film Horizon.
The third instalment is currently under production, but has encountered significant delays after Warner Bros indefinitely postponed the release of the second part due to the box office disappointment of Chapter 1.