Kelly Reilly plays 'peacemaker' as Kevin Costner and 'Yellowstone' producers spar over shooting days
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kelly Reilly has allegedly been trying to ease tensions between her 'Yellowstone' co-star Kevin Costner and show producers as they continue to clash over the actor's apparent demands.
Costner has been accused of creating issues behind the scenes and refusing to cooperate with producers and creator Taylor Sheridan over the shooting schedule required to finish season 5 of the hit Western. The 68-year-old actor apparently wants time to focus on his upcoming passion project 'Horizon' which he wrote, produced, and will direct and star in.
Insiders with knowledge said Costner has been pulled away from the sets by his wife Christine Baumgartner, who wants to spend more time with her husband.
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Kevin Costner vs 'Yellowstone'
Sources told Deadline in February that Costner, who had originally limited himself to 65 days of filming on Yellowstone, only wanted to shoot for 50 days for the first part of the ongoing season. However, the actor only wanted to spend a week shooting for the second batch of episodes of the current, fifth season of the show. The producers reportedly feel like the time being offered by Costner, who just won best television actor in a drama series at the Golden Globes, isn't enough to do justice to the franchise.
“The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of Yellowstone is an absolute lie," Costner’s attorney Marty Singer said in a statement responding to the allegations. “It’s ridiculous—and anyone suggesting it shouldn’t be believed for one second. As everyone who knows anything about Kevin is well aware, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always gone way above and beyond to ensure its success,” he added.
'Kelly’s taken it upon herself to play peacemaker'
An insider has now revealed that Costner's co-star Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton in the show, has stepped in to get a hold of the situation. “Kelly has a close relationship with Kevin onscreen and off,” a source told Radar Online. “Kelly’s taken it upon herself to play peacemaker,” the insider alleged, adding that she’s been sending friendly texts to the parties involved. “She’s asking for one more season so the show can have closure.”
It's worth noting that Costner plays John Dutton, the patriarch of the Dutton clan on the hit show. His pivotal role has been a source of frustration for Sheridan and is said to be causing morale problems with other stars of the show, which includes Reilly, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham, per Deadline.
Talks with Matthew McConaughey
This comes amid reports that Sheridan and studio execs are already in talks with Matthew McConaughey to take over the franchise after Costner’s exit.
“We have no news to report," Paramount Network, which airs 'Yellowstone', said in a statement responding to the buzz. "Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner," the network added.