Yellowstone Star Kevin Costner In Line for Massive Payday If Season 6 Gets Picked Up Amid Behind-the-Scenes Drama
There's news regarding the alleged behind-the-scenes tension between Kevin Costner and Yellowstone. We're into the fifth season of the Paramount Network hit series, with the second half of Season 5 still to come. However, drama has made its way to the Yellowstone set, with reports of tension between creator Taylor Sheridan and star Kevin Costner. If the reports are to be believed, Matthew McConaughey is in talks to star in a new series with Yellowstone set to end. As more information comes out regarding the Kevin Costner/Taylor Sheridan beef, it appears Costner would see a significant increase in his pay if Season 6 is picked up.
ET Canada spoke to Puck News' Matthew Belloni, who provided details on some of Kevin Costner's alleged demands, including arrangements for his Yellowstone shooting schedule and extra payments. "The way Yellowstone is shot is that Costner comes to the set for a certain period of time," Belloni said. "And he is taking the position that, for anything outside of his contractually obligated time during shooting, he should be paid extra for it. But in Hollywood, it's sort of an unwritten rule that you promote your show or your movie when it comes time to do that."
Belloni added, "Costner was asking for extra money to promote his show and that was seen by producers as a little bit of a money grab for a guy who was paid extraordinarily well for his services."
How Much Does Kevin Costner Make on Yellowstone?
A July report from Variety claimed Kevin Costner is the highest-paid actor on TV, with Yellowstone paying him over $1 million per episode. "According to my sources, Costner makes about $1.2 million per episode for Yellowstone, and that's in addition to an overall deal that he has which pays him extra money," Belloni said. "So he makes more than $20 million a season if it goes 16 episodes, as is planned this season."
"If Yellowstone is picked up for a 6th season, and Costner is on the show for the 6th season, he will get $1.5 million per episode," Belloni continued.
Costner, who plays patriarch John Dutton on Yellowstone, reportedly only wants to spend a week shooting the remaining episodes of Season 5. However, Costner's attorney, Marty Singer, said that claim is "ridiculous."
"The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of Yellowstone is an absolute lie," Singer in a statement. "It's ridiculous — and anyone suggesting it shouldn't be believed for one second. As everyone who knows anything about Kevin and is well aware, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success."