LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of 'Yellowstone', disclosed that Kevin Costner's character, John Dutton, will die before the show ends on the Paramount Network. While Sheridan did not provide specific details about how Dutton's story will end, he addressed some of the rumors surrounding the show's ending in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The immense success of the hit series has spawned several spin-offs, including as '1923' and '1883', which explore different timelines and narratives within the 'Yellowstone' universe. Additionally, there is an upcoming project in the works that will star Matthew McConaughey, further expanding the franchise's universe.
How will 'Yellowstone' end?
Sheridan expressed his disappointment over the show coming to an end after just five seasons. "It truncates the closure of his character," he told the outlet, adding, "It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it." He had confirmed that from the start, Dutton was meant to die before the very end of the series.
Despite the abrupt ending, Sheridan stated that the original script remained unchanged. While he did not disclose whether Costner's character would be "taken to the train station," he did provide a hint that certain outcomes typically associated with Western heroes would not be happening to the beloved character. "I was killed in a f**k-you car crash!" Sheridan pointed out, referring to his 'Sons of Anarchy' character's death. "I don’t do f**k-you car crashes," he explained, adding, "Whether [Dutton’s fate] inflates [Costner’s] ego or insults is collateral damage that I don’t factor in with regard to storytelling."
'Kevin Costner's creation of John Dutton is symbolic'
"My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct," Sheridan revealed, adding, "He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with ‘Yellowstone.’ I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],’ which we did. My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered."
"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," Sheridan said, adding, "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 [the movie is] worth it — and that it’s a good one."
