MISSOULA - The popular TV series Yellowstone has returned to Missoula for filming — complete with some serious star power.
The front lawn of the Missoula County Courthouse was packed with a production crew and extras on Wednesday.
Bystanders were starstruck as they watched Kevin Costner and other co-stars as they shot scenes for an upcoming episode.
Yellowstone revolves around the Dutton family and land claim issues. The show has filmed at various locations in Missoula and the Bitterroot valleys.
The fifth season of Yellowstone is set to return on November 13 on the Paramount network.
The Montana Bureau of Bureau of Business & Economic Research at the University of Montana says that the fourth season of “Yellowstone” brought in more than $70 million to the state.
The study found that because of “Yellowstone,” there were:
- 527 permanent jobs in the state, not including the 624 Montana residents who were employed during filming as extras.
- $25.3 million in annual personal income for Montana households.
- $85.8 million in additional gross receipts for Montana businesses and non-business organizations.
Additionally, annual revenues of state government were higher by $10.6 million, according to BBER director Patrick Barkey.
Barkey said in a news release: “The production activities of ‘Yellowstone’ season four in Montana supported jobs and income well in excess of its own economic footprint, making Montana’s economy larger and more prosperous than it otherwise would have been,” Barkey said. “The high-paying nature of the production-related jobs, and the considerable demand for locally produced goods and services, are the main reasons why the economic impacts were so sizable.”
The report found that Montana has experienced growth in television and film in the last 10 years, with 122 productions filmed in 2019. Some of those films qualified for tax credit. More than 30 states, including Montana, currently offer some form of tax credit, often transferrable, to studios in return for locating activities within their states.
During five months of filming in western Montana, the studio’s spending for "Yellowstone" on everything from lodging and rental cars to veterinary and animal services benefited a variety of Montana businesses.
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