Wes Bentley said all the rumors floating around about whether or not his hit show Yellowstone will continue are “above my pay grade.”
The 44-year-old actor, who credited Robert Downey Jr.’s openness to drug addiction to help him get clean, told Entertainment Weekly at SCAD TV Fest, “I know they’re still working on it… with all the things.” to clarify to make sure we shoot.’
“And I’m confident that we will do that,” he assured. “We always have. I think it’s probably a little drama about nothing.’
Concerns about the future of the popular modern western arose after Deadline reported that Kevin Costner, 68, wanted to reduce his shooting days for the second part of season five to one week so he could focus on directing and starring in his multi-part western could epic horizon.
The actor is also reportedly asking for more money, reportedly $1.2 million per episode for season five and increasing to $1.5 million per episode if there is a sixth season.
Drama: Wes Bentley, 44, said all rumors surrounding the future of his hit series Yellowstone are “above my pay grade” Wes says he’s confident things will work out. “We always have. I think it’s probably a little drama about nothing’; seen on February 11th
Rumours: Rumors about Yellowstone’s future began after star Kevin Costner, 68, asked for more money. He also reportedly requested fewer filming days for the second part of season five; still from Yellowstone
Kevin won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama in January for his role as family patriarch John Dutton.
The requests reportedly led to talks about Paramount+ and creator Taylor Sheridan, ending the highly rated show altogether.
There were reports that the showrunner could then take the franchise in a different direction, with a spin-off starring Matthew McConaughey.
Paramount and Taylor have already had great success with the Yellowstone prequel series 1883 and 1923, which aired their season finale on Sunday.
1923, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, was renewed for a second season.
In a statement to Matthew Belloni at Puck, Kevin’s attorney, Marty Singer, fired back, saying, “The notion that Kevin only wanted to work on the second half of Yellowstone Season 5 for a week is an absolute lie.
“It’s ridiculous – and anyone who suggests it shouldn’t be believed for a second. As anyone who knows anything about Kevin knows, he is incredibly passionate about the show and has always done everything to ensure its success.
The cast and crew are also reportedly upset about the Oscar winner’s hiring on set.
Ridiculous: Kevin’s lawyer issued a statement calling reports of his claims “ridiculous”. “Kevin knows that, he’s incredibly passionate about the show and has always done everything to ensure its success,” he said
Spin-off: Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, 52, could reportedly take the franchise in a new direction and create a spin-off starring Matthew McConaughey
Greek tragedy: Wes said he’s focusing on his character Jamie Dutton and his simmering feud with sister Beth, played by Kelly Reilly, 45. He described their brewing feud as a “Greek tragedy out in Big Sky Country.”
1923: The success of Yellowstone has resulted in two prequels that tell the story of the Dutton family. 1923, starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, was renewed for a second season. The season one finale was scheduled to stream on Sunday
Rather than discuss the alleged uncertainty, Wes focused on his character Jamie Dutton and his simmering feud with sister Beth, played by Kelly Reilly, 45.
He likened their drama to a “Greek tragedy out in Big Sky Country.”
“It’s a mystery to me, too, where it’s going. All I know is that this is a turning point…. Something big is going to come out of that moment between Jamie and Beth,” he explained.
“It’s kind of the last straw. He didn’t realize how much Beth was really sick of him until recently, and I think it’s now flipped a switch in Jamie that he feels the same way.