Is There Life After Kevin Costner on ‘Yellowstone,’ TV’s No. 1 Hit?

It’s a scene right out of the juggernaut hit TV series Yellowstone: Star Kevin Costner is reportedly in a Western-style standoff with show creator Taylor Sheridan, potentially delaying its return this summer. Rumors are swirling that the megastar may even quit.

“I was only going to do one [Yellowstone] season,” Costner told USA Today’s Bryan Alexander late last year. “But the moment I feel that it’s not right, I’m just going to step away."

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But never fear! The future for Yellowstone — and, most important, for its legions of grownup fans — is still bright. Here’s everything you need to know about the current real-life drama and what it means for your watching this season. (Spoiler alert: Matthew McConaughey may be involved!)

How big a deal is ‘Yellowstone,’ anyway?

Very! The modern-day cowboy epic about a Succession-like family feud is TV’s number 1 scripted series: Its most recent season premiere broke ratings records; it’s the number 1 DVD bestseller and it’s one big reason why Paramount+ added more subscribers this winter than any other streaming service.​

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So what’s holding up ‘Yellowstone’?

Right now, Costner is writing, directing and starring in Horizon, a $100-million-plus film (with several sequels green-lit) about the settlement of the West, so he’s got less time for Yellowstone. Besides his shooting schedule, money negotiations are likely involved. Insiders told the news site Puck that Costner and Yellowstone auteur Taylor Sheridan are like “Brady and Belichick,” or “silverbacks wrestling.” With his own Western epic universe in the Horizon franchise, Costner may be less lured by the millions he makes on Yellowstone and more interested in creative control (and making even more millions).

Should we know this guy Taylor Sheridan?​

Yes, if you like TV hits with major movie stars. Check out Sheridan’s Sylvester Stallone crime show Tulsa King; Jeremy Renner’s Mayor of Kingstown; the OG Yellowstone and spin-offs 1883, 1923 (with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren) and the soon-to-be-released frontier epic 1883: The Bass Reeves Story with David Oyelowo; plus the spy show Lioness, with Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman. According to audience analysts at Samba TV, 24 percent of people watching Paramount+ only watch Sheridan’s shows.