The ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Delay Has Left Wes Bentley Manning the Jamie Dutton ‘Gate’ — ‘I’m Just Going to Hold This Gate Closed Until It’s Time to Let Him Loose’
The continuing stand-off between Hollywood’s scriptwriters could cause a delay in the debut of Yellowstone’s fifth season. With the start of production up in the air, Yellowstone star Wes Bentley is doing his best to stay ready.
Bentley plays the part of Jamie Dutton on the neo-western. His deeply tortured character is set for a major showdown with his father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), in the final season. But with the delay complicating things, Bentley admitted he’s “manning the Jamie Dutton Gate” until the situation levels out.
Wes Bentley says he is ‘manning the Jamie Dutton gate’ amid ‘Yellowstone’ delay
The final season of Yellowstone was set to begin production this spring. However, between Costner’s drama with series creator Taylor Sheridan, and the ongoing writer’s strike, shooting hasn’t kicked off just yet.
Chatting with Hollywood Reporter, Bentley shared his thoughts on handling the relentless setbacks. With the situation still unresolved, Bentley said he’s just biding his time, ready for the point when he can unleash Jamie one more time.
“Jamie is so prevalent in me. It’s more like: When do I open the gate? When do I let this beast out and take over my life!” he shared. “I’m manning the gate. And it becomes easier because I don’t have a date of when we’re returning. All of these things are out of my control, so I’m just going to hold this gate closed until it’s time to let him loose.”
In the midseason finale of Yellowstone, Jamie finally faced off against his father and sister, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly). When the series returns, Bentley said he’s ready to tap into Jamie’s newfound assertiveness.
Regrettably, Bentley does not know how his character’s arc will conclude. The actor disclosed that he hasn’t scanned through any of the scripts for season 5, so Jamie’s ending remains a mystery, at least for now.
Writers’ strike could delay filming for season 5 of ‘Yellowstone’
Paramount Network has made it official that its prime series, Yellowstone, is set to resume the latter part of season 5 in November. But is it really? With an ongoing strike by Hollywood writers, the impact could extend to Yellowstone and its various spinoffs.
We still do not know if Sheridan, the mastermind and scribe behind Yellowstone, has finished drafting the scripts for the final season. He’s also busy working on a variety of shows, which could delay Yellowstone even further.
But if Sheridan has finished the scripts, it is possible that production will kick off by August. If that’s the case, Yellowstone could hit its targeted release date in November.
However, if Sheridan hasn’t finished the scripts, the launch dates might need adjustments, with the series returning sometime in early 2024. Either way, Bentley is clearly ready to pick things up where they left off.
Wes Bentley opens up about Jamie Dutton’s potential ending
While Bentley is in the dark about the ultimate fate of his character on Yellowstone, he’s fairly confident about the direction of the storyline. He brainstormed a variety of potential developments for his character but concluded that the dynamics between Jamie and John are too complex to decipher.
“It’s hard to read Jamie. Is he playing everybody right now? He’s realizing now that he has this power and potential for more power. I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not with him. There are so many potential ways he deals with John’s ending,” he stated.
Regrettably, Bentley might be waiting a few more months before he finds out about Jamie’s ending. Besides the Hollywood strike, there’s significant friction between Costner and Sheridan.
The pair have been locked in a disagreement since February, failing to find common ground over a filming timetable. Costner’s involvement in a fresh project, Horizon, further complicates matters ahead of season 5.
Sheridan has refrained from weighing in on the controversies surrounding Yellowstone. Despite the uncertainty, the series is, for now, planned to come back for its final season in November.
