Yellowstone fans traveled for miles to attend PaleyFest in Los Angeles over the weekend — not just to get a peek at some of their favorite stars, but to hear more about what makes the Duttons the powerhouse family we just can’t get enough of. For the Yellowverse faithful, PaleyFest meant the opportunity of a lifetime, and the chance to see some of the most incredible talents in the industry; from Kevin Costner and Kelly Reilly, to Cole Hauser and Taylor Sheridan, but things didn’t pan out that way.
Instead, PaleyFest visitors were treated to a different cast list than promised — and the conversations surrounding those who did show up and those who didn’t is as intense as an episode of Sheridan’s Yellowstone itself. As fans eagerly anticipated a Dutton-centric panel, within an hour of show time, they learned that things were going to be very different than what they promised. Many are demanding that PaleyFest own up to its mistake.
Variety reports that 30 minutes prior to showtime, the press was let in for the Yellowstone PaleyFest panel with notable names missing. In fact, only four celebrities showed up for the chat: Josh Lucas, Wendy Moniz, Mo Brings Plenty, and Dawn Olivieri. Impressive names in entertainment and across the Yellowstone universe, the panel was still a treat for everyone in attendance, but fans couldn’t help but notice that the original guest list wasn’t just altered, but abandoned completely.
Taylor Sheridan, David Glasser, Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham, and Jacki Weaver were all slated to attend, with “additional guests to be announced,” as reported by PaleyFest. So when the guest list changed with less than an hour to spare, attendees weren’t exactly thrilled.
That’s not to say that the experience wasn’t unique; Lucas breathes life into a young Kevin Costner — and his character arc is essential for understanding the version of the character that Costner brings to life. Moniz plays Lynelle Perry — the governor prior to John Dutton signing in, a love interest of the character, and more importantly — a friend and confidant. Mo Brings Plenty plays Mo, Chief Thomas Rainwater’s right-hand man and the character who gives a fresh perspective of so many pieces of the Yellowstone puzzle. Of course, Dawn Olivieri’s influence is also monumental in the series; as a key enemy of the Dutton family (sans her beau, Jamie) — she’s become a power player throughout the last season.
It goes without saying that those in attendance were treated to quite an experience, but it also left them wondering what the future of Yellowstone looks like. Fans were also wondering why they were all but totally disregarded, pointing out that it was painfully obvious that the powers that be knew about the schedule issues earlier in the week — and that a public statement should have been made.
A quick perusal of Twitter reveals that many fans were less than pleased about how the situation was handled. Not that they weren’t happy to have experienced PaleyFest with the cast of Yellowstone that did appear that evening, but that it was not the experience they’d been promised.
Many are wondering if this has anything to do with the rumors surrounding Costner’s murky future in the Yellowstone universe, but others are just concerned that the Yellowstone fanbase deserved a little more that night — not from those who attended the panel and gave them a night to remember, but in terms of the overall experience, it wasn’t what they initially purchased tickets and drove hours for.
It’s yet to be determined if PaleyFest or Paramount will have anything to say about the last-minute changes, but Variety also reports that the supposed reason for the last-minute changes was a scheduling conflict. It’s possible that the conflict happened because the cast has finally made it back to film the second half of season five, but that doesn’t really lessen the burn for those who didn’t get the heads up that a significant change was being made right before they sat in the audience.
Fans did hear something about the future of the series, and that came in the form of a quote from Paramount Network development president Keith Cox, who says he believes Costner has a place in the future of Yellowstone. In fact — he said he was very confident about it. As fans of Yellowstone, it’s incredible that some of the cast did make it to PaleyFest to give the audiences a one-of-a-kind experience, and we hope they felt the love over the weekend, and as season five moves forward.