Did ‘Yellowstone’ Just Extend an Olive Branch to Kevin Costner?

The relationship between Kevin Costner and the Yellowstone team has been icy since last winter, when fans learned there was a major — and as it turns out, damning — contract snag. On Thursday (Jan. 18), both sides signaled a thaw.

In September, fans learned Costner and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan had discussed his future with optimism in the summer, but hit a snag when it came to creative control. Soon after, Paramount announced the show was ending.

Unsubstantiated rumblings that Costner may return continue to provide hope he could come back to — at the very least — film John Dutton’s death scene (the Dutton Rules podcast team notes that a lawsuit over his play-or-pay deal never materialized, perhaps indicating a compromise). There was no outward sign of progress, however, until now.

Thursday was Costner’s 69th birthday, and the show’s social media team wished him well. The actor noticed.

“Thanks guys,” he shared with a cowboy hat emoji.

It’s not much, but this is the guy who failed to mention Yellowstone or any of his fellow cast or crew in accepting a Golden Globe for his role on Yellowstone.

Fans used the exchange to pepper him with questions about if he’ll come back, and nobody answered that, but here’s hoping.

The announced end of Season 5 did allow for a planned plot twist for Season 6 to emerge. In November, singer Cory Asbury shared that he was booked to play a long-lost Dutton brother, but that was squashed with the show’s ending planned.

22 ‘Yellowstone’ Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

How big of a fan of Yellowstone are you? These 22 facts about the Paramount Network show are sure to stump even the most dedicated viewers. They’re almost all about the cast members and their real-life passions and roles. John’s kids? Beth’s accent? Rainwater’s guitar playing? Tate’s spoilers? It’s all part of this list of 22 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Yellowstone.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 22: John Dutton May Not Be Getting Rich But Kevin Costner Is

In July 2022, Variety reported that Costner was set to earn $1.3 million per episode of Yellowstone, up from $500,000 an ep. in Season 1. That includes some production credits and other responsibilities.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 21: How Much Does Rip Make?

Season 5 salaries for the rest of the cast of Yellowstone are not known, but Cinema Blend estimated that Kelly Reilly (Beth), Cole Hauser (Rip), Luke Grimes (Kayce), Wes Bentley (Jamie) and Kelsey Asbille (Monica) made about $200,000 per episode in Season 1.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 20: Speaking of Rip …

Taylor Sheridan only had eyes for Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler. The Dazed and Confused actor and (bonus fact) heir to Warner Brothers didn’t even have to audition for Yellowstone.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 19: Kelly Reilly’s Audition

The woman who would come to play Beth Dutton did send an audition tape but when Taylor Sheridan saw it, he knew she was Beth. He says that’s his favorite character to write.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 18: Will All the Real Cowboys Please Stand Up?

Not you Jimmy. Actor Jefferson White’s inability on a horse is well-documented — although we hear he’s getting better — but other actors that stay in the Yellowstone bunkhouse are veterans of the rodeo. Actor Forrie J. Smith (Lloyd), Jake Ream (Jake), Ethan Lee (Ethan) and Ryan Bingham (Walker) are four with serious horse cred. In fact they help teach the rest of the cast how to ride and handle horses. Writer Taylor Sheridan is also very capable. In fact …

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 17: Those Aren’t Just Any Horses

Sheridan supplies many of the horses used on Yellowstone from his own ranch. Others that are noted as famous in Yellowstone are actual champion horses. Metallic Cat has a stud fee of $10,000.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 16: Lloyd’s Bunk

Many of the actors on the show lend their expertise to the set and script. Forrie J. Smith provided helpful insight when it came to designing the famous Yellowstone bunkhouse. He’d actually lived in similar settings, so he knew. Many of the personal items in Lloyd’s bunk came from Smith’s career and collection.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 15: The Truth About Branding

Jefferson White told Taste of Country how the show’s branding scenes work. “Part of what was important to accomplishing that effect was smoke, sort or rising off the brand. The only way we figured out how to accomplish that was for Cole Hauser … to use an actually super-heated brand,” he says.

White held a piece of wood covered in leather against his chest as Hauser (Rip Wheeler) branded the leather. It was all two inches from his chest. “I will never forget the smell, which was very sort of potent and authentic,” the actor adds. “And I’ll never forget the heat that rose off of the brand at that moment.”

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 14: ‘Yellowstone’ Is Montana Proud

Seasons 1-3 of Yellowstone were filmed in Utah (mostly) but because of Montana’s more attractive tax incentive programs, the show moved. However …

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 13: Is the Train Station Real?

In early 2022, several people and websites began to claim the road used as the “Train Station” was in Eden, Utah. The location is intentionally vague on the show, with Lloyd only describing it as a land without government. As it turns out, a place like that actually may exist.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 12: What’s Gator Cooking?

Gator is a real-life chef named Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau. Fans only see him once or twice a season but the rest of the time he’s keeping busy as the head of craft services.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 11: A Young Kevin Costner

We made a full list of ways Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan uses the same actors and their family again and again. One we didn’t add was Kevin Costner’s connection to Ian Bohen, who plays Ryan. In 1994, Bohen played the boyhood version of Costner’s titular character in Wyatt Earp and he remembers the veteran actor as very kind.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 10: Kevin Coster’s Kids

Kevin Costner’s John Dutton has four kids (including the late Lee Dutton and adopted Jamie Dutton) but in real life he has seven children from three relations. His daughter Lily is a talented singer who’s collaborated with his band, Kevin Costner & the Modern West.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 9: Gil Birmingham Plays Guitar

Actor Gil Birmingham (Thomas Rainwater” doesn’t just play a little. He’s a very talented musician as see HERE. On the show, he’s not alone. We mentioned Costner’s band but Ryan Bingham (Walker) also sings and writes songs. Denim Richards (Colby) is a classically trained opera singer.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 8: Rip’s Boston Accent?

Cole Hauser plays Dutton fixer Rip Wheeler. Prior to starring in Yellowstone he appeared in many movies, including Good Will Hunting. In the film he’s one of Matt Damon’s good friends. It’s a small role but important role.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 7: Teeter’s Old Man

Teeter first appeared in Season 3 and soon after actor Jennifer Landon revealed she was a little afraid of the animals, at first. She’s not the first person from her family to star on an open range however. Her father Michael Landon was Charles Ingalls on Little House On the Prairie.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 6: Why Jamie Looks Familiar

You really can’t forget those eyes, and most people who’ve seen the Kevin Spacey film American Beauty don’t. Wes Bentley played the next door neighbor Ricky Fitts, a character who (spoiler alert) indirectly gets the main character killed. It’s a stunning role that shows Bentley’s artistic range.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 5: The Real Yellowstone Ranch?

The ranch used for exterior scenes and more is called the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Mont. Guests can actually stay in one of the Dutton cabins (it’s expense, and there’s a long wait but you can do it) seen during most episodes of Yellowstone. The show is filmed in Montana and Utah.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 4: 50 Shades of Kayce

Luke Grimes plays Kayce Dutton, John’s youngest son. In real life Grimes auditioned for the main role in the Twilight series of films and landed the role as Elliott Grey, Christian Grey’s brother, in the 50 Shades of Grey series.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 3: Tate’s Kidnapping

Actor Brecken Merrill is the go-to for behind-the-scenes Instagram content. On Instagram he shares and maybe even overshares. Not long ago he revealed that the show filmed him being kidnapped (end of Season 2) but ultimately chose not to air it, figuring there’d be more more suspense.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 2: Beth’s British Accent

This should be a surprise to most who’ve admired how Beth Dutton thrives across a patriarchal society in western Montana. Actor Kelly Reilly is actually from London and speaks with a British accent. Need proof? Go watch the first Sherlock Holmes movie staring Robert Downey Jr. She plays Watson’s wife, Mary.

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‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 1: The Jeff Bridges Connection

This is Ryan Bingham, who plays tender-hearted Walker on Yellowstone. He’s a known singer/songwriter who provided so much of the great music for the Jeff Bridges movie Crazy Heart (2009). He’s not the only one from the franchise to work alongside Bridges however. Gil Birmingham starred with Bridges in Hell or High Water (2016) and Sam Elliott — star of the Yellowstone prequel 1883 — sat next to him in The Big Lebowski. This is all to say that rumors of a Bridges appearance on this franchise come through a lot of smoke. It feels close!