‘Yellowstone’ Star Cole Hauser Offers Up a Disappointing Update on the Return of Season 5

Yellowstone star Cole Hauser has some disappointing news for fans. The actor, who plays Rip Wheeler on the popular neo-western, recently shed light on the current state of season 5’s production.

Amid rumors surrounding Kevin Costner’s future on the series, Hauser dashed hopes that the show will be returning for the second half of season 5 by the summer of 2023.

Cole Hauser gives a discouraging update on the return of season 5

Yellowstone’s fifth season is currently in production, but earlier this year, reports emerged claiming that the show would soon come to an end due to Costner’s desire to cut back his role. However, any definitive information on the show’s future is still unknown and likely won’t be released until the completion of the remaining episodes. 

Amid the rumors, Hauser has cast doubt on the possibility of the show returning to the small screens in the expected summer 2023 premiere window.

Hauser participated in a Q&A session with fans during his appearance on stage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. According to Express, the Yellowstone star revealed that production on the second half of season 5 has not started and might not begin until May.

“You know, we’ll see what’s next, but right now I’m focused on giving you guys 5B, you’ve been waiting for it a little while!” Hauser stated. “But we’re trying to go back to work in May, so hopefully that’ll happen.”

The update likely means that season 5 will not return this summer and will be pushed back to a much later date. 

Cole Hauser remains mum about the rumor that season 5 could be the last

Hauser, unfortunately, did not address the reports surrounding Costner’s future on the show. The first part of season 5 concluded back in January, and series creator Taylor Sheridan is currently working on several Yellowstone spinoffs. 

With Costner’s drama taking center stage, reports have emerged that Matthew McConaughey might be set to take on a lead role in the franchise moving forward. But a spokesperson for Paramount recently shut down those rumors and hinted that Costner is not going anywhere.

“Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone, and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come,” the spokesperson stated. 

One of the main rumors surrounding Costner’s alleged drama pertains to his busy schedule. The actor reportedly wanted to scale back his involvement in Yellowstone because he has other projects lined up in the immediate future, including a western drama titled Horizon.

But a scheduling conflict isn’t the only source of drama between Costner and Paramount. 

Everything we know about the drama on the set of ‘Yellowstone’

Yellowstone’s future is on shaky ground due to reported disagreements between Sheridan and Costner. While fans wait for any news surrounding the supposed drama, an inside source claims that there are several reasons behind the filming delays. 

In an interview with ET Online, Matthew Belloni claims that the beef between Sheridan and Costner comes down to scheduling issues, salary disagreements, and personalities. 

“Kevin Costner is famously headstrong, and he has been at odds with Taylor Sheridan, the creator of this show, for months now over the days that he’s gonna be shooting for the next part of the season,” Belloni claimed.

Costner supposedly asked to participate in only one week of production to finish the second half of season 5. Paramount allegedly denied the request, putting Costner at odds with Sheridan and his team. 

Reports have also surfaced that the actor is demanding more money for his time. Costner is already one of the highest-paid actors in television and earns over $1 million for each episode of Yellowstone.

Prior to the delays, season 5 of Yellowstone was scheduled to return to Paramount by the summer of 2023.