Matthew McConaughey Yellowstone Series Moving Forward
Matthew McConaughey will star in the Yellowstone universe, with or without Kevin Costner.
The bombshell news comes from Paramount boss Chris McCarthy himself, who told The Hollywood Reporter that McConaughey will star in some sort of Yellowstone extension -- regardless of whether or not Costner ultimately returns as series lead John Dutton.
As for Costner's fate on the award-winning show, McCarthy only said Yellowstone "wouldn't be what it is today without Kevin and we hope that that stays for a long time to come."
Matthew McConaughey (right) joining Yellowstone. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Matthew McConaughey joining Yellowstone, with or without Kevin Costner
This is obviously huge news on several fronts, starting with the fact that McConaughey will enter the Yellowstone universe in some way, shape or form. Earlier this year, rumors began to swirl that Costner could be exiting the series over filming disputes, although the Costner's reps have pushed back on that.
According to the original Deadline report, Costner allegedly requested one week of shooting to complete the remaining eight episodes of the second half of the current season of Yellowstone, which was slated to resume in the summer.
His request was allegedly denied by Paramount Network.
When that report dropped nearly two months ago, a spokesperson for Paramount said the network had "no news to report," while adding that Costner "is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that's the case for a long time to come."
Kevin Costner Yellowstone future up in the air. (Credit: Paramount Network)
Shortly after that rumor, McConaughey's name entered the fold as a possible replacement for Costner should he leave the series. Now we know that the legendary actor -- who was an absolute star in the series True Detective -- will enter the Yellowstone universe at some point in the near future.
Speaking of that future, McConaughey's Yellowstone extension is reportedly one of more than 10 projects McCarthy has with series creator Taylor Sheridan. 1923 -- the hit prequel series starring Harrison Ford -- just wrapped its first season and is set to return for a second next year.