Overview
- Sheridan told The Bill Simmons Podcast on Monday that Costner’s original contract covered only the first three seasons of Yellowstone.
- Sheridan said Paramount executives urged keeping Costner because the series had become a massive commercial hit, which delayed the planned handoff of the story to the younger Dutton generation.
- Costner left the series in 2023 and Sheridan and multiple outlets say that the departure, coupled with script and production delays, contributed to a poorly received final season.
- Both men have publicly rejected the idea that a lasting personal feud drove the split, with Costner denying he initiated problems and Sheridan saying his view of Costner as an actor has not changed.
- Sheridan is reported to be leaving Paramount for a multi‑year NBCUniversal deal worth close to $1 billion, a move that will shift his creative focus while the Yellowstone universe continues through spin-offs.