You Won’t Believe How This Kevin Costner Western Sparked the Decade’s Biggest Fantasy Hit — And It’s Finally Back on Netflix!
Kevin Costner is best known today as John Dutton in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, but long before he took over the Dutton ranch, he starred in a classic Western that’s finally back on streaming. In 1994, Costner teamed up with Dennis Quaid and the late Gene Hackman for Wyatt Earp, an epic saga chronicling the life of the legendary lawman whose exploits became American legend.
After arriving on Tubi last November, Wyatt Earp has now found a new home on Netflix. As of February 1, the film is available to all subscribers, joining a growing lineup of Costner projects on the platform, including Molly’s Game and The Highwaymen — the latter starring Costner alongside Woody Harrelson, and the former co-starring Idris Elba.
Despite its star-studded cast, Wyatt Earp is widely regarded as one of the biggest Western flops ever. The film’s $60 million budget wasn’t matched at the box office, earning only $25 million. Yet, the story lived on in pop culture, inspiring one of the decade’s most beloved fantasy series: Wynonna Earp, which follows the fictional daughter of Wyatt Earp. All episodes of Wynonna Earp are streaming for free on Tubi.
Wyatt Earp is just one example of Costner’s mixed fortunes in the Western genre. More recently, he released Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, which flopped at the box office with only $38 million worldwide against a $50 million budget. Its planned sequel has been pulled indefinitely, along with two additional installments, leaving their release uncertain.
As for Yellowstone, Kevin Costner won’t be appearing in any of the upcoming spin-offs. The first, Marshals, follows Kaycee Dutton (Luke Grimes) as he leaves the Yellowstone ranch behind to become a U.S. Marshal. It will premiere on CBS before streaming on Paramount+ on March 1. Two weeks later, Paramount+ will launch The Madison, starring Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer. Set in the same universe as Yellowstone, the show focuses on a new family, the McIntoshes, rather than the Duttons.
