There was a time — not all that long ago — when Kevin Costner reigned supreme as one of Hollywood’s most bankable talents.
These days, Costner is riding out a low point in his career, and there are concerns that he might never be back on top.
In fact, The Hollywood Reporter just dedicated an entire cover story to Costner’s recent woes, and insiders say the Oscar winner is “furious” about the negative press coverage.
In case you weren’t aware, Costner stepped away from his starring role on Yellowstone in order to focus on his dream project: a multi-part theatrical epic about the settling of the American West.
Unfortunately, the first installment of Horizon: An American Saga tanked so badly at the box office that the second part was quietly released straight to streaming.
The debacle followed a messy divorce for Costner, one that, insiders say, was prompted at least in part by his decision to stake his financial future on the success of Horizon.
As if that weren’t bad enough, the new THR piece does not go easy on Costner, describing his reputation for being “difficult” on set as well as his “diva-like imperiousness.”
The piece goes into a detail about an alleged incident in which Costner “lunged at” Yellowstone co-star Wes Bentley while the two were arguing over a scene.
“Kevin didn’t like that, and he lunged at him,” says a source who was present at the melee.
“No fists were thrown, but they were in each other’s faces, pushing and shoving and just getting hot until they had to be separated.”
“The incident with Wes was the line in the sand. Everything was different after that,” another insider tells THR.
“Everyone loved Wes and so that really made Taylor upset. Kevin and Taylor butted heads from there on out. It got very awkward.”
“It’s sad, and that’s the only thing I can think of,” says a different source who has worked with Costner for over a decade. “I think he got lost in the ether and to this day, I just don’t get it.”
Now, a follow-up report from Page Six claims that Costner is “furious” over the THR piece and has fled Hollywood for a globe-trotting treasure-hunting trip.
“Kevin Costner is on a deep-sea diving binge to discover sunken treasure,” says one insider, adding:
“He found gold coins and emeralds recently in the Caribbean. Now he’s shopping a TV series on finding sunken treasure around the world.”
The source notes that “no one has signed on to finance” the show amid Costner’s current “cold streak.”
“He’s said to be furious over the new Hollywood Reporter story about how he’s lost the plot… He’s very angry about it,” the insider adds.
Costner has hit similar rough patches in the past, including a string of box office bombs in the mid- to late-nineties.
But can he bounce back again at age 70? Only time will tell.