Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan recently shared that before Kevin Costner was cast as John Dutton while the project was set up at HBO, actually went out and cast Robert Redford at their request. Then things took a funny and unexpected turn for Sheridan.
While speaking with THR, Sheridan recounted his experience trying to get Yellowstone greenlit at HBO before Paramount picked it up. HBO told him that if he had Robert Redford they would greenlight the project, so he went out and took it only to find there was some misunderstanding. He said:
“They said, ‘We want Robert Redford.’ They said, ‘If you can get us Robert Redford, we’ll green light the pilot’… I drive up to Sundance and spend the day with him and he agrees to play John Dutton. I call the senior vice president of manufacturing and say, “I got it!” “You got who?” “Robert Redford.” ‘What?!’ “You said if you took Robert Redford, you’d kick off the show.” And he says — and you can’t make this shit up — ‘We meant a Robert Redford guy.’”
That would be so frustrating! Of course, these studio execs need to be a little clearer about what they want. However, it’s still impressive that Sheridan managed to get Redford to agree to be in the show! So why didn’t the project move forward at HBO? Well, after a crisis meeting that showed some concerns about the series’ “Middle America” vibe and Beth’s character, Sheridan decided HBO just wasn’t the right place for the show. He explained:
“Let’s go to lunch somewhere fancy in West LA, e [Yellowstone co-creator] Finally John Linson asks, “Why don’t you want to make it?” And the VP says, ‘Look, it looks just like Central America. We are HBO, we are cutting edge, we are trendsetters. It feels like a step backwards. And frankly, I have to be honest, I don’t think anyone should be living out there [in rural Montana]. It should be a park or something.’“
This goes to show that even HBO can make silly brain fart mistakes. Luckily Sheridan found a home for Yellowstone at Paramount and the show ended up being great! Sure, things with Costner eventually fell apart and he won’t be a part of the series after season five, but the story will continue in a sequel series with Matthew McConaughey.
Yellowstone “Chronicle of the Dutton family, headed by John Dutton, who control the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. Between shifting alliances, unsolved murders, gaping wounds, and deserved respect, the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders: a sprawling city, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.
Do you think Robert Redford would have worked as John Dutton?
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
