Some confusion arose as Paramount was preparing for Yellowstone’s fifth and final season, mainly due to disagreements with Taylor Sheridan and lead actor Kevin Costner. The film played in Montana but still discovered a request for a time card from Barbara Stuart, a Texas equestrian.
Stuart was one of Taylor Sheridan’s owners and helped prepare the horses that Paramount used on the hit show Yellowstone. Sheridan owns a ranch and a large number of cattle which he leases for use in film and television series productions (think No but without the special clouds). In addition, he established “a network of lucrative commercial ventures to feed them.”
While the dramatic increase in audience engagement was due to Sheridan’s work on the shows, Paramount executives were concerned about the huge amount of the show’s budget, much of which was driven by offsetting Sheridan’s professional experience. He has an almost unprecedented amount of leverage over Paramount as well as 101 Studios, the producer of his series. “The Taylor shows are among our most successful and profitable,” a Paramount reporter asserted. And a new series involving Yellowstone world-building is in the works. No official word has been given yet, although Matthew McConaughey is actively in talks to take on the lead role.
