Popular 'Yellowstone' Ending Amid Rising Costs and Behind-the-Scenes Drama

Creator Taylor Sheridan’s expensive creative control and union disputes threaten show’s future.
Lead actor Kevin Costner demands input on character’s exit, straining relationship with showrunners.
Prequel series ‘1883’ and ‘1923’ rack up $500 million in annual costs for network.
Part 1 of Season 5 heads to streaming in May followed by final Costner episodes this fall before unnamed sequel premieres.
Western series’ success spawns multiple spinoffs, securing genre’s popularity and network’s streaming service.