Yellowstone's Wes Bentley Says Kevin Costner Rumors Are Much Ado About Nothing

There's been a lot of hoopla about the future of "Yellowstone" in recent weeks. Despite the doom-and-gloom that seems to be reported, Wes Bentley has assured stressed fans of the Paramount series that they have nothing to worry about. The chaos first started when Deadline reported that John Dutton actor Kevin Costner was duking it out with Paramount over shooting schedules. The outlet suggested that "Yellowstone," in its current incarnation, would wrap up, with a majority of the cast moving over to a series led by Matthew McConaughey.

Since Deadline's initial report, the future of the series and Costner's role in it has been up in the air. Fans of the series shouldn't be surprised to hear that Costner might leave the series as the actor has consistently mentioned the difficulties in filming "Yellowstone." While Costner's beef with Paramount is just speculation, Bentley says there's no reason anyone should get fussy.

"The news that's come out recently about the show is, you know, it's above my pay grade. Different people making decisions," the Jamie Dutton actor told EW. "I know that they're still working on... working things out with everyone, to make sure we shoot," Bentley continued before saying that the reports circling around are "probably a bit of drama over nothing." Bentley has been an integral part of the series since its inception, so his words of positivity and optimism are certainly encouraging.

Wes Bentley isn't the only one who is dispelling (or at least downplaying) those Kevin Costner rumors. Following the initial Deadline report and subsequent speculation, Costner's attorney came out and made it a point to say that the rumors were nonsense. "The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of 'Yellowstone' is an absolute lie," Marty Singer exclusively told Puck News. The actor's attorney labeled the idea of Costner having issues over scheduling "ridiculous" and said that the Oscar-winner is committed to the franchise, which he's spearheaded since its 2018 debut. 

The Paramount Network also shut down Deadline's report, telling the outlet that they hope Costner will continue to be a part of the series "for a long time to come." As for Bentley, he's excited for what else series creator Taylor Sheridan has in store with the coming episodes. "And I'm so interested in everyone," Bentley told EW. "I'm invested in the whole thing now."

Costner, meanwhile is still expected to move forward with the lengthy production of his western "Horizon." Per People, the Costner-directed film will continue filming in the Spring of 2023. For now, Costner leaving "Yellowstone" seems to be nothing more than a hypothetical prospect. For the sake of the Duttons, fans should hope it stays that way.