Yellowstone star teams up with Oscar-winning actor for new political drama – report

Yellowstone star Kevin Costner is reportedly in talks to play former U.S. President Bill Clinton in a new political drama, United, which he will executive produce alongside Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio. The upcoming series is in early development and will be produced in association with the United Nations.

According to Deadline, the show is set in 1999 and centres around a UN mission to East Timor. While Kevin, a two-time Academy Award winner, is negotiating to play Bill Clinton, Chukwudi Iwuji (Play Dirty, The Day of the Jackal) could take on the role of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Fans of political dramas might want to keep an eye out for this one. The series not only boasts a great deal of star power, but delves into a complicated conflict that was a significant foreign policy issue during Clinton’s presidency and will no doubt make for an engaging watch. Keep reading to find out more…

Who is the creative team? 

David Raymond (Night Hunter) will write and direct the series, which will dramatise true stories of the courage and sacrifice made by humanitarian staff around the world. Raymond previously teamed up with the UN’s Creative Community Outreach Initiative during the tenure of previous UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon and has been working with them since then. 

Appian Way, Onwards Studios and Prime Focus DNEG will produce the series.

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What is the series about? 

While plot details have yet to be announced, it’s possible that the series will delve into the crucial role played by Clinton in de escalating conflict in Indonesia and helping East Timor become independent, having been invaded by Indonesia in 1975. After public elections, East Timor officially became a sovereign nation in 2002, gaining independence from Indonesia following a brutal and violent struggle. 

When will the show be released?

Filming is scheduled to begin in Atlanta and Spain next year, so viewers could be waiting a little while for the show’s release. We’d expect a 2027 or 2028 air date, depending on when next year shooting takes place. 

Kevin Costner’s most recent projects 

Kevin recently starred in the fifth and final season of Yellowstone, the Western drama from Taylor Sheridan, in which he played Montana ranch owner John Dutton. The show ran from 2018 to 2024 and also starred Luke Grimes and Kelly Reilly. 

Kevin’s tenure on the show ended abruptly when filming for season five clashed with his plans to direct Horizon: An American Saga, the first of his four-part Western epic, which was released in June. Kevin wrote, directed and starred in the film. A release date for Chapter 2 has yet to be confirmed. 

© Variety via Getty Images

While Kevin has well and truly established his place within the Western genre, his role in United marks a return to high-stakes political thriller territory he previously conquered in films likes JFK and Thirteen Days.