Yellowstone’s Spinoff Success Proves Its Original Plan Could Have Worked Even Without Kevin Costner
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise now numbers three different TV shows with a combined viewership of around 30 million people, while a fourth show is currently in production. The critical and commercial success of both 1883 and 1923 demonstrates that the original Yellowstone series itself didn’t have to end after five seasons in December 2024. The show could have continued for at least two more years, even without its main protagonist, John Dutton III, played by Kevin Costner. Indeed, Yellowstone’s producers initially planned for the series to run for much longer than the 53 episodes it ended up having.
According to a recent report published in Bloomberg, Taylor Sheridan apparently wanted Yellowstone to run for eight seasons or more. Instead, he and fellow creator and executive producer John Linson wrapped the show’s story up after five seasons, including an extended fifth season in two parts. This is because Costner’s exit from Yellowstone due to disagreements over scheduling, pay, and the creative direction of the series precipitated its premature ending. Sheridan decided to expand the Yellowstone universe via spinoffs involving different sets of characters, rather than continue the original show for further seasons without Costner.
