It’s hard to imagine a series like Yellowstone without Kevin Costner playing John Dutton. The actor is unquestionable in the role of the ruthless patriarch. His love of westerns makes him an absolute clue in this regard. Therefore, it was a natural choice for a series that dealt with the clash between the modern world and the rural lifestyle as presented in the series.
However, we find out in an interview with Taylor Sheridan The Hollywood Reporter That the series could have been very different. Although Kevin Costner was always Taylor Sheridan’s first choice to lead Yellowstone, he revealed that he almost chose another major star to play the Dutton patriarch: Robert Redford.
While hosting on the Paramount Network and routinely breaking cable records, Taylor Sheridan pitched his series concept to HBO executives. He named Yellowstone with Kevin Costner as his ideal choice, but they came back to him with their own ideas about who should play John Dutton. “They said, “We want Robert Redford.”– he told The Hollywood Reporter.They said, “If you can find us Robert Redford, we’ll order the pilot.”“.
Like Kevin Costner, Robert Redford is another iconic Western figure with a decades-long career and iconic roles like Butch Cassidy and The Kid. Yellowstone would allow him to reconnect with the western genre and could be the end of a good career for the Sundance powerhouse.
The story doesn’t end there and begins a Saturday Night Live sketch. Taylor Sheridan, who has proven his ability to attract top talent, follows the instructions given to him like a good little soldier. But HBO executives are full of surprises… he says:
“I went to Sundance, spent the day with him And he agreed to play John Dutton. I call the vice president in charge of production and say: “I got it!” “Who did you get?” ‘Robert Redford.’ ‘What?!’ “You said if I got Robert Redford, you’d greenlight the show.” And he says – and we can’t make this nonsense up – ‘We meant someone like Robert Redford.’“.
very “middle american”
Tired of being snubbed by HBO executives, Taylor Sheridan and Yellowstone co-creator John Linson attended a crisis meeting with the network’s VP to find out why HBO didn’t want to greenlit the series. They eventually found westerns too Middle American-oriented for HBO’s usual shows, which prevented them from moving on to rural life. These troubling comments eventually convinced Sheridan to find a new home for the series, as he recalls:
“We go to lunch at a nice place in West Los Angeles and John Linson finally asks, “Why don’t you want to do this?”. And the vice president replies: “Look, this is so average America. We are HBO, we are trendsetters, we are trailblazers. It feels like a step back. And to be honest, I don’t think anyone lives there. . It must be a park or something“.
Finally, Taylor Sheridan and John Linson got their revenge on HBO and turned Yellowstone into a real hit. It even became a franchise with a famous main series and two successful spin-off series with incredible actors including Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in 1923. And more spin-offs are on the way.
As a final attack on the network, Sheridan even included these comments in a Season 2 episode where a New York magazine reporter dares to insult Montana in front of Jamie (Wes Bentley) and pays dearly for it.
While those comments didn’t sit well with Sheridan or Linson, it was the executives’ criticism of fan favorite Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) that really bothered the creator. As she appeared in the series, Betty was one of Yellowstone’s most complex characters, able to go from menacing to vulnerable. Thanks to his impeccable portrayal of Reilly, he became the heart of the show and with his business acumen, he is undoubtedly the best character at the reins of the ranch.
However, not all of the qualities that fans appreciate about Beth have gone down well with HBO executives, who consider her too.Abrasive“For the public:”We want to sweeten. Women won’t like it.” They were wrong because Betty always says out loud what the genes are thinking silently. When someone is rude at a restaurant or cuts you off in a parking lot, Betty says what you want to say.“.
Taylor Sheridan wasn’t about to mess up what would become one of his best characters. “I said to them, “Okay, are you all done? Who is responsible for the series you run? oh right thanks.’ And I hung up. They never called.“
Yellowstone is gearing up for its finale with Season 5 Part 2 coming later this year as Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner agree on a filming schedule. The actor is indeed very busy filming his new movie Horizon: An American Saga and is not immediately available.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
