Kevin Costner Will Lose Some Serious Money Walking Away from Yellowstone
It appears that Yellowstone is prepared to move on regardless of whether Kevin Costner decides to return or not.
The Academy Award-winning actor has been haggling with Paramount regarding how much time he must dedicate to shooting the remainder of season five of Yellowstone.
The problem is that Costner would like to reduce his workload, namely to focus on his own film projects, whereas Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is more inclined to demand more of the 68-year-old actor. For this reason, the two have been stalled over contract negotiations, prompting both to ditch an appearance at the recent PaleyFest.
While Costner may have his merits for deciding to pack it up and focus on new endeavors, he’s also forsaking a significant payday.
How big? Well, considering that Costner was earning more than $1 million per episode for the first half of season five of Yellowstone, it is likely he’ll abandon somewhere in the ballpark of $8-$12 million, and that’s just for completing season five.
Costner, who recently won a Golden Globe for his performance as John Dutton in Yellowstone, has reportedly been leveraging the award in efforts to earn yet an even higher salary on the show. It’s something that Sheridan has balked at, causing some tension among the two Hollywood heavyweights.
While some (including cast members) remain optimistic that Costner will return to Yellowstone, it appears less likely by the day.
The production has yet to resume filming for season five, and it’s unlikely that Sheridan will wait much longer before pulling the plug. It’s been confirmed that Matthew McConaughey is slated to lead an upcoming Yellowstone spin-off, which makes it even more likely that the exodus with Kevin Costner is real.
Nevertheless, if this is the case, Costner will surely miss the $1.3 million payday he currently receives per episode.
Yes, Costner should have no problem finding other work (or making ends meet). However, leaving Yellowstone is significant, considering he is one of the highest-paid actors on TV.
Last year, it was reported that Costner is among Hollywood’s top earners, along with Mahershala Ali (The Pilot) and Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso). Consequently, the loss may hurt temporarily, but it’s expected that the actor will recover.
For many actors, it’s never been about the money, and granted Costner’s long list of credits, he doesn’t need to prove himself with Yellowstone. The credibility and reputation have already been established. Still, one must wince at the thought of abandoning millions, potentially over what seems like a trivial dispute.