In recently revealed court documents related to his divorce from his second wife, actor Kevin Costner indicates he is apparently done with the Paramount Network TV series “Yellowstone”.
According to Insider, the 68-year-old actor revealed in said documents that he is not expecting to receive any further monetary compensation from the series apart from “back-end contractual participation rights.”
He says: “I will earn substantially less in 2023 than I did in 2022. This is because I am no longer under contract for ‘Yellowstone,’ the principal source of my income last year… so far in 2023, I have yet to receive any participation compensation from ‘Yellowstone.”
Last year it was reported that he earned around $1.3 million for each episode of the show under his contract. “Yellowstone” is set to end with the latter half of its fifth season, which has yet to be filmed.
Costner reportedly continues saying: “Now, any compensation I earn from ‘Yellowstone’ will derive only from my back-end contractual participation rights, which amounts are not fixed. The most recent report from the producer for ‘Yellowstone’ shows I am not now owed any participation money” with Costner reportedly adding he has “disputed this”.
Costner’s leading role as aging rancher John Dutton was last seen facing impeachment from his role as Montana governor in the show’s mid-season finale, which aired on New Year’s Day.
As recently as last month, series co-creator Taylor Sheridan seemed to suggest Costner would be reprising his role, though the obvious question was how much of that second half of the season he would be in.
If Costner no longer has a legal obligation to return to film scenes and chooses not to do so, it raises the question about his character potentially being killed off-screen. Still, as the outlet points out, Costner isn’t the only issue hanging over the show’s final run.
Source: Insider
