Questions have been raised about whether "Yellowstone," TV's top-rated drama, could be coming to an end.
Citing sources on Monday, Deadline reported that Paramount Network, Paramount Global, and series co-creator and showrunner Taylor Sheridan could end the popular Western in its current form.
At issue, insiders told the outlet, is that the show's current star, Kevin Costner, 68, is having disagreements on filming schedules. As the friction dampens the morale of fellow actors, there are now reports that the franchise might be extended in the form of a new show starring Matthew McConaughey, 53.
A Paramount Network responded to the rumors in a statement to Deadline, saying, "We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of 'Yellowstone' and we hope that's the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we'd love to partner."
Deadline sources claim that Costner, who had originally limited himself to 65 days of shooting on Yellowstone, only wanted to shoot for 50 days for the first part of the current season. For the second batch of episodes of the season, he only reportedly wanted to spend a week shooting.
According to the outlet, Paramount Network declined Costner's most recent proposal. Instead, the network has reportedly made the decision to move on to the other show.
Costner won a Golden Globe last month for his portrayal of John Dutton, the owner of the Yellowstone ranch, on the Paramount series, according to the New York Post.
A report emerged last year revealing that Costner is earning $1.3 million per episode. With Season Five of "Yellowstone" split into two parts across 14 episodes, Costner will make nearly $20 million.