Yellowstone’s Kevin Costner spills idea for very different ending before his exit
Yellowstone leading man Kevin Costner has disclosed that his vision for the hit Paramount Network drama’s ending differed significantly from the actual fate of the Dutton family.
The popular contemporary Western series, crafted by Taylor Sheridan, spanned five seasons, although the final instalment was made more complex by Hollywood A-lister Costner’s choice to depart from his portrayal of ranch proprietor John Dutton.
John met his demise at the beginning of the postponed latter half of season five, leaving his offspring Beth (played by Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) to carry forward his heritage.
Whilst the main series has concluded, the Duttons’ narrative will persist in the forthcoming spin-off Marshals, featuring Grimes, and The Dutton Ranch, starring Reilly and Cole Hauser as Beth’s spouse, Rip Wheeler.
Nevertheless, before the Yellowstone franchise’s trajectory was determined by Costner’s departure, he harboured his own concept of how the family’s saga might wrap up, reports the Express.
In conversation with Entertainment Tonight, the Hollywood heavyweight characterised the programme as a “bit of a soap opera” and proposed the Duttons “should all be in prison”.
Naturally, it remains unclear whether showrunner Sheridan would have embraced Costner’s proposed conclusion had he stayed with the series through to the finale of season five.
It’s conceivable that Yellowstone’s soap opera tone was exactly what prompted Costner’s decision to abandon ship.
He’d previously grumbled on Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast that the show was “too much like f***ing Dallas “, a well-known CBS soap which aired from the late 1970s through to the early 1990s. Many viewers have drawn parallels between the two dramas, although it seems Costner intended for Yellowstone to portray its characters with more gravitas.
Had the series been set in a more realistic environment, characters like John, Beth, Kayce and their wayward brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) could have faced far harsher consequences.
Since leaving the show, 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 disappointing box office performance of Chapter 1.
In contrast, the Yellowstone franchise continues to thrive, with another spin-off in development to join Marshals and The Dutton Ranch.
Hollywood actress Michelle Pfeiffer will headline The Madison, a spin-off about a wealthy New York family who move to Montana, which is scheduled for release later this year.
A second series has already been shot ahead of the first season’s release, so fans can anticipate more updates in the forthcoming months.
