Yellowstone may be ending after a scheduling dispute with Kevin Costner

Is Kevin Costner's John Dutton about to ride off into the sunset?

The wildly popular Western drama series Yellowstone is expected to end "in its current form," according to a bombshell report from Deadline. The series could wrap up as soon as the end of its current season, but the report said it would effectively be replaced by a new show, with Matthew McConaughey in talks to star. Several Yellowstone cast members are reportedly expected to migrate over to that new series.

News that the original Yellowstone may end, though, was still a shock considering it's the top-rated drama on TV. But the report claimed it comes down to "disagreements over shooting schedules" with star Kevin Costner. According to Deadline, Costner only wanted to shoot for 50 days for the first part of the current season of Yellowstone, but for the second part, he insisted on shooting for just one week.

This "has been a source of frustration" for Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan considering Costner plays the main character of the show, and it has also allegedly been causing "morale problems" for the other stars, the report says. Paramount Network reportedly declined Costner's proposal regarding his schedule, leading to the decision to end the flagship show and move on to one with McConaughey.

But a Paramount Network spokesperson told Deadline "we have no news to report" about the series' future, adding that Costner "is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that's the case for a long time to come." A source close to the show also disputed Deadline's report to the Los Angeles Times, insisting Yellowstone isn't ending.

Whatever the fate of the main series may be, it's safe to say the Yellowstone universe will continue. The show has already spawned two spinoffs, 1883 and 1923, with more on the way.

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