Taylor Sheridan already had a reputation to keep and his own legacy to live up to when he transitioned from film to television. After the groundbreaking success of Sicario, the Oscar-winning merit of Hell or High Water, and his stunning directorial debut with Wind River, a $90 million series starring Kevin Costner was only going to set high expectations within the industry.
However, Yellowstone more than delivered on that front, not only becoming Paramount’s most profitable project ever but also rooting Costner as a leading male in Westerns once again, with the added bonus of a career renaissance. But as the series progressed, delivering one strong season after another (let’s not count Seasons 4 and 5), Sheridan’s writing grew bolder and naughtier by the minute. And Costner knew that better than anybody.
Kevin Costner bars his family from watching his show
Yellowstone may be a family drama, but it is by no means family-friendly. The R-rated neo-Western series established Taylor Sheridan as an astute auteur with great authority over storytelling. Kevin Costner, the lead male protagonist, along with every other cast member, felt the magic of Sheridan’s writing throughout their tenure on the show.
With a script that rivaled that of Succession, Yellowstone had no moral epithet to stick to and little consideration for the established format of television. Its characters were written in a fashion that was beyond reproach, and yet, every act was morally questionable and unscrupulous to the extreme.
It is only understandable that Costner would feel a sense of responsibility in letting his family watch Yellowstone, considering the shenanigans that the characters usually got up to in the series. In an interview with Extra TV, the veteran actor claimed:
It’s too naughty for them to see and they probably do figure out how to see it. But it’s got some nasty little bits that are good fun for everybody else.
After enjoying 4 and a half seasons’ worth of a healthy relationship with writer-director Taylor Sheridan, Kevin Costner parted ways with the show and its creator in 2024 after a year-long falling out over scheduling differences. His character, John Dutton, was written off from the show’s final arc in a dishonorable off-screen death that was later avenged in the series finale.
Yellowstone is a gift that keeps on giving
While Yellowstone was still churning out storylines worth millions, Paramount+ sanctioned multiple spin-off shows to cash in on their profitable flagship series. Shortly thereafter, two prequels were conceived, titled 1883 and 1923, that charted the origin story of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, its inheritance, and its generational legacy through the decades.
While 1883 gave a glimpse into the story of Elsa Dutton, whose arrival in Montana was a catalyst for the establishment of the ranch, 1923 went even deeper into the historical context of the series by exploring the Great Depression and World War I and how the Yellowstone ranch survived through such great turmoil of the era.
Now, further talks have escalated as Paramount+ and Taylor Sheridan look to expand the Yellowstone universe beyond its prequel-era arcs and move into the future with a series set after the events of the original Kevin Costner series. As the surviving Dutton heir moves to Texas, alongside numerous fan-favorite supporting characters like Rip, Teeter, and Jimmy, Sheridan may be gearing up for a series set in the iconic Four Sixes Ranch.
Yellowstone and its prequel spin-offs, 1883 and 1923, are available to stream on Paramount+.
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