‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Shares Good News About Season 5

Yellowstone fans have been in turmoil recently amid reports of conflict on the hit show, but in a new interview, co-creator Taylor Sheridan says there's good news regarding the upcoming second half of Season 5.

The first half of Season 5 wrapped in early January, and the second half was originally slated to air in the summer. Conflict between series star Kevin Costner and Paramount has resulted in delays as he has tried to negotiate his shooting schedule for the second half of Season 5, which conflicts with his schedule for a movie project called Horizon. Season 5 is now tentatively set to return in November, though the ongoing writers' strike in Hollywood may delay that once again. Costner's character of John Dutton will reportedly die early in the new episodes, and it's unclear if he will return to wrap his story arc.

Yellowstone co-creator and writer Taylor Sheridan tells the Hollywood Reporter that Paramount will give him the latitude he needs to finish the story however he wants, even if it means extending the season beyond the planned six remaining episodes.

“If I think it takes 10 episodes to wrap it up, they’ll give me 10,” he states. “It’ll be as long as it needs to be.”

Sheridan says there are no hard feelings on his part in regard to Costner's departure, which has caused an enormous public stir.

“My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct. He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with Yellowstone. I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [Costner's departure],’ which we did," he shares.

“My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered,” Sheridan adds. “His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful … and I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone. But once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting. He took a lot of this on the chin, and I don’t know that anyone deserves it. His movie seems to be a great priority to him, and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [Horizon is] worth it — and that it’s a good one."

As part of Taste of Country's comprehensive coverage of all things Yellowstone, check out our Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.