Yellowstone could have been an entirely different series with screen legend Robert Redford at the helm. The Paramount Network series was created by Hell or High Water screenwriter Taylor Sheridan and kicked off an ever-expanding franchise of spinoffs that already includes 1883 and 1923 with more on the way. The flagship series stars Kevin Costner as patriarch John Dutton III who fights to defend his family's Montana ranch from various interested parties.
The Hollywood Reporter recently sat down with Sheridan ahead of the delayed Yellowstone season 5 part 2. During their conversation, he reflected on the early days of the series' development where he had shopped it to HBO. Despite then-programming president Michael Lombardo thinking "Taylor was the real deal" while HBO's largely unsupportive team was pursuing developing the screenplay into a series, they turned down the idea of casting Costner in favor of Robert Redford. Sheridan fought to get Redford, but when he did they said, "We meant a Robert Redford type." Read Lombardo and Sheridan's full quotes below:
Michael Lombardo: I thought Taylor was the real deal. In a world of people who pose, he was writing what he knew, and he cared desperately about the show. The idea of doing a modern-classic Western was a great idea — we were always doing urban shows, and this felt fresh.Taylor Sheridan: [HBO executives] didn’t see it [when I pitched Costner as the lead. They said, "We want Robert Redford." They said, "If you can get us Robert Redford, we’ll greenlight the pilot."I drive to Sundance and spend the day with him and he agrees to play John Dutton. I call the senior vice president in charge of production and say, "I got him!""You got who?’""Robert Redford.""What?!""You said if I got Robert Redford, you’d greenlight the show.“And he says — and you can’t make this s**t up — "We meant a Robert Redford type."
Would Yellowstone Have Succeeded at HBO with Robert Redford?
Mo Brings Plenty Kevin Costner Gil Birmingham pose together in Yellowstone
If HBO had decided to go with Redford in the lead, Yellowstone would have felt like an entirely different series. However, at first blush, Redford and Costner seem like comparable leads despite their 18-year age difference. Both have a similar amount of experience in Westerns and neo-Westerns with Redford having starred in projects like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Jeremiah Johnson compared to Costner's work in Wyatt Earp and Silverado.
It's possible that one reason HBO rejected actually casting Robert Redford was the price tag that comes with the Oscar-winning star. It's difficult to tell what price difference there would be in casting either star, considering both were coming off of major franchise successes with Redford having played Alexander Pierce in Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Costner playing Jonathan Kent in DC's Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. However, due to his age Redford is a more established star and likely would have cost more.
If Yellowstone had gone to air with Redford in the lead, the expectations on viewership would have been much more demanding in order for the show to be renewed. While the series is now a runaway success, its viewership grew season-on-season, and those season 1 numbers might not have cut it if the lead actor was costing more. This might have prevented the franchise from growing into the behemoth that it was, especially as HBO parent company Warner Bros. is currently facing financial difficulties and huge restructuring that would have also impacted the show if it had continued.
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