How Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds Mended Their Rift
Director Kevin Reynolds opens up about his rocky relationship with Kevin Costner, the chaos of Waterworld, and how the two eventually found common ground after years apart.
Kevin Costner’s career has been a real mixed bag, swinging from Oscar-winning highs to some absolute shockers. Whether he’s starring in a much-hyped series or turning up in a film that’s copped a fair bit of stick, you never quite know what you’re going to get. But behind the scenes, there’s another Kevin who’s played a big part in shaping his journey—Kevin Reynolds, a director and writer with a long history alongside Costner.
Reynolds kicked off his feature film career with Fandango, a road trip comedy about a bunch of uni mates heading off on one last adventure before graduation. These days, it’s got a bit of a cult following, and it was also the first time Costner landed a leading role. That film set the stage for a partnership that would see the two Kevins team up on a couple more projects.
Clashing on Waterworld
Things took a turn when they worked together on Waterworld, a production that’s gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. The set was a mess, and it wasn’t just the floating sets that were falling apart. The working relationship between Costner and Reynolds copped a battering too. When asked about what went wrong, Reynolds said,
“He asserted himself. We had discussions, then arguments, and then a falling out. It’s not something I want to go into in detail. But it took years for us to get over it. I think Kevin’s more comfortable in his skin now.”
It’s not hard to see why tensions were running high. Costner was at the top of his game, coming off a string of box office hits, and he was also producing Waterworld, so he had a fair bit riding on it. Both blokes were under the pump to deliver on what was, at the time, the priciest film ever made.
Pressure and Fallout
Shooting on open water turned out to be a nightmare—just as Spielberg had warned. Tempers flared, and the pressure from the media didn’t help. Reynolds recalled,
“It was difficult, no doubt about it. We had some serious arguments. There was so much pressure on the film itself because, at the time, it was the most expensive ever made. The press were after us from early on, willing us to fail.”
After Waterworld wrapped, the two went their separate ways for years. The fallout was serious enough that they didn’t work together again for quite a while. The whole experience left a mark, but time has a way of smoothing things over.
Finding Common Ground Again
Eventually, the Kevins managed to patch things up. While they haven’t teamed up on another film since Waterworld, Reynolds did direct Costner in the miniseries Hatfields & McCoys. That project turned out well for both of them—Reynolds scored an Emmy nomination, and Costner took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. In the end, things worked out all right for both blokes.