Matthew McConaughey Shares the Appeal of ‘Yellowstone': ‘I Admire the Simplicity’

Matthew McConaughey is reportedly set to head up a new show in the Yellowstone universe, and in a new interview, the iconic actor shares what he admires about the show's strict moral code.

Yellowstone centers around the Dutton family, who own the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the U.S. They face a series of struggles against all of the entities that border their land, as well as a number of outside forces who want to take the land and exploit it for their own gain. Patriarch John Dutton [Kevin Costner] and his family dispense frontier-style justice that falls outside of the law on a regular basis.

"I admire the simplicity of it," McConaughey says during an interview on the Lex Fridman Podcast (quote via Fox News).

"One way you could explain Yellowstone and Costner’s role is, what will men do to protect land and family in a world that is trying to encroach? In a world where there’s a cowboy ethos that deems trespassing more clear earlier than other hats. I admire that simplicity of right and wrong," he adds.

When Fridman points out that Dutton-style justice doesn't follow the law, McConaughey responds, "No, it’s above the law."

"It’s a little bit of, ‘If the law ain’t handling this, I am,’" he states. "And then it is, ‘The law’s not going to handle it, therefore I am.’ Then it’s, ‘I’m handling this. The law? Talk to them when you get to them. I’m handling this.'"

McConaughey has been rumored to be in talks with Paramount about heading up a new entry in the Yellowstone franchise since February, when reports of tension between Costner and the producers of Yellowstone first surfaced. Costner has been involved in a standoff over his shooting schedule for the second half of Season 5, which conflicts with an epic Western he is producing, directing and starring in titled Horizon.

Sources have said that the show intends to kill off Costner's character early in the second half of Season 5, and Paramount has announced Yellowstone will come to an end after the upcoming episodes. McConaughey will headline a Yellowstone sequel that will debut immediately upon the show's conclusion and also star some of the main cast of Yellowstone.

Yellowstone Season 5 is currently slated to return in November, but it's unclear if it will face delays due to the Hollywood writers strike.

As part of Taste of Country's comprehensive coverage of all things Yellowstone, check out our Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.