Yellowstone Part 6 – Will it happen?
Since 2018, the cowboy-themed “Yellowstone” has captivated audiences everywhere. After a rocky start, the series gained an incredibly loyal fan base after the sequels built on the foundation that series creator Taylor Sheridan had carefully laid. Originally intended to be a feature film akin to “The Godfather” (only trading the mafia for Montana ranchers), the project evolved into a television series that after many attempts at making now, has finally been selected. Powered by Paramount Network.
Sheridan has built an entire “Yellowstone” television empire — whose main programming is Paramount Network’s flagship series — that at this point would rival that of John Dutton (Kevin Costner). But while the two-part Season 5 remains on hiatus until further notice, ongoing off-screen developments have changed the entire trajectory of the series as well as its larger body of work. After becoming a huge success for Paramount, it’s hard to believe that the network would let its biggest cash cow ride off into the sunset. After all, there are plenty of Dutton-themed stories to tell, and even some that don’t focus on the extremely violent and intense farm family.
Right now, the big question on everyone’s mind is after Season 5 Part 2 airs, will there be another season of “Yellowstone”? Believe it or not, there are real answers out there, but they may not be to everyone’s taste. Still, it is hoped that the Duttons will make the most of what they have while they still have it.
Season 5 is still wrapping things up
From the moment Season 5 was announced as a two-part extension, people were worried that “Yellowstone” might be coming to an end. The first batch of episodes begins airing in late 2022 and runs continuously on Paramount Network until the New Year. With eight episodes already on its cowboy-sized belt (just one in the entire Season 1 catalog, mind you), “Yellowstone” has been on hiatus while Taylor Sheridan and his team begin to tackle second half of the season. But it looks like 2023 won’t be Dutton’s year.
With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes going on in Hollywood right now, it’s unlikely the second half of the season will air anytime soon, especially since “Yellowstone” hasn’t even finished filming its fifth season. Since the series typically films from April to October, mild months relative to Montana’s usual winter climate, their entire filming schedule was thrown out. Even if the strikes are resolved sooner or later, winter will likely keep the series from filming until at least mid-spring 2024.
Although six episodes were initially announced for the second half of Season 5 (the season total is 14, the longest to date), Sheridan seems confident that could change. “If I think it takes 10 episodes to finish the show, they’ll give me 10 episodes,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter. “It will last as long as necessary.”
Kevin Costner wants to leave
After the first part of Season 5 aired, the fate of “Yellowstone” was soon questioned. It turns out Kevin Costner wants to leave the show. Not expected to return after Season 5, Costner — who has been the de facto face of “Yellowstone” since its inception — thinks it’s time for him to move on to other projects. This all comes from Costner’s next directorial project, a multi-part Western epic titled “Horizon: An American Saga,” which the actor/director is keen to continue making .
The series, set both before and after the American Civil War, will span four seasons, with the first season already in post-production after filming in Utah throughout 2022. It’s been a while since the Western epic Costner’s biggest, 1991’s “Dances with Wolves,” has already hit theaters, so the promise of more from the filmmaker is exciting, though not for everyone.
“My last conversation with Kevin was that he had a passion project that he wanted to direct,” Sheridan explained to The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023. “He and the network were arguing about when can he finish ‘Yellowstone.’” Sheridan continued. went on to explain that, while he was sad to see Costner go, his departure didn’t change how he wanted John Dutton’s story to end, even if he wasn’t happy about it . “It cuts out the closure of his character,” he said. “It doesn’t change it, but it cuts it down.”
Kelly Reilly says Season 5 isn’t the end
Between a two-part fifth season, Costner’s impending departure and Hollywood strikes threatening to shut down production indefinitely, it’s understandable that some “Yellowstone” fans might be worried about the future of film. After all, the Season 5 Part 1 finale, “A Knife and No Coin,” ended with some serious cliffhangers that we wished were resolved. However, despite the news of Costner’s upcoming absence, series star Kelly Reilly isn’t worried about the future of “Yellowstone.”
“‘Everyone keeps saying, ‘Is it the end? It’s definitely the end.’ It’s not the end,’” the actress told Vulture in 2022. To be fair, Reilly said that before Costner’s departure was leaked and the upcoming sequel series — set to replace the original — has been announced (more on that later), but her sentiment still rings true even now. As for the special features of the “Yellowstone” Season 5 Blu-Ray Part 1, releasing in May 2023, Reilly elaborated on how she thinks the series could ultimately play out.
“The main theme of protecting and maintaining this way of life in this land is the end of everything. So I don’t know which way it’s going to go, but we’re in Season 5 and who knows understand what’s going on,” Reilly explains. “Even though it will probably be beautiful and grand, I’m not sure it will be happy.” Still, Reilly seems quite optimistic about the future of “Yellowstone,” even if it might end.
What did the rest of the cast have to say about how the show will end?
Reilly isn’t the only cast member with an opinion on how Season 5 could bring “Yellowstone” to a close. When asked if he knew when the show might end, actor Cole Hauser shared some thoughts. “I would never ask… [Sheridan will] do what he thinks is right and I trust that his storytelling will be right,” he told TODAY, while reassuring viewers that this is not yet must be the end. But the series is coming to an end and some stars, like Wes Bentley, are okay with it. “I’m going to miss it, but I’m also going to celebrate that it’s over,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
“[The show] peaks and ends at the same time,” Bentley continued. “I’m always prepared for some version of the show to end or I won’t be on it anymore, or Kevin decides to go do something else and he’s out. You just know the business and always expect the craziest thing to happen. And usually, it does.”
But as for how the movie will actually end, series star Luke Grimes has no clue. Appearing on “The Tonight Show,” Grimes said he didn’t think creator Taylor Sheridan wanted him to know. Rather, he was happy to experience Kayce Dutton’s life as it was his own: blind. “It’s just, I don’t know, it might affect the way you do something or play something and experiencing it this way is fun anyway.”
Taylor Sheridan knows how the show will end
But while the cast didn’t know how “Yellowstone” would turn out, series creator Taylor Sheridan knew from the beginning. This isn’t really surprising. Sheridan writes nearly every episode himself, and even when “Yellowstone” briefly rented a writers room in its second season, his vision always won out in the end. After all, one can’t start a new Western epic like “Yellowstone” without knowing where one’s going, even if the show sometimes feels lost along the way.
According to Sheridan in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the ending of “Yellowstone” remained the same from his original feature film script. Furthermore, fans may be surprised to learn that John Dutton may not make it to the end – this may have been planned all along. After all, this is “The Godfather” in Montana, and Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) never made it to the final credits. “Whether [Dutton’s fate] inflates [Costner’s] ego or the insults are collateral damage that I don’t take into account when telling the story,” says Sheridan.
“This ‘Yellowstone’ chapter will end sooner than we all wanted,” noted Chris McCarthy, CEO of Paramount Media Networks, “but we feel good about where it will end.” If the series creator feels good about it, and the studio heads do too, then we shouldn’t worry about what “Yellowstone” will bring, even if a sixth installment isn’t in the works yet. consider.
The sequel will continue the Yellowstone story
While it appears Season 6 won’t be as traditional, a sequel series to “Yellowstone” is in the works. Similar to how “Little House: A New Beginning” followed on from the original “Little House on the Prairie,” the “Yellowstone” sequel will include a new cast of characters and expand the empire the Duttons built . for themselves for half a dozen generations. The sequel will star Matthew McConaughey, but it’s unclear whether it will bring back other actors, though Wes Bentley is certainly leaving the door open to that possibility.
“[McConaughey] seemed like a natural fit,” Taylor Sheridan noted to The Hollywood Reporter. “We had a few conversations over the years and tossed around some ideas. Then he started watching ‘Yellowstone’ and responding. He said, ‘I want to do that’. And By ‘that,’ he meant delving into a primitive world that confronts the modern world. And then I said, ‘Dude, that we can do.’” About the character Who McConaughey’s character might be, we don’t know other than whether he’s a long-lost Dutton or a completely new character, Sheridan is sure to make him an unforgettable addition to the universe “Yellowstone”.
Of course, until “Yellowstone” ends, this upcoming sequel project won’t see the light of day. Meanwhile, this isn’t the only “Yellowstone” show worth watching, nor is it the only show fans should tune in to.
Various prequels keep the Duttons going
With the success of Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan opened the floodgates for a larger Western franchise to reach all the way back to the Last Best Place itself (the institution, not the land). Beginning with “1883,” Sheridan’s self-described 10-hour film, the “Yellowstone” series has taken a dark and intimate look at the settlers of Montana more than 140 years ago. A huge success, the miniseries highlighted the dangers of westward expansion as well as the true nature of the journey to Oregon.
A companion piece set 40 years later, Sheridan’s “1923” — starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren — begins its run in late 2022 but will expand beyond just a single season. While Sheridan always envisioned “1883” as a one-off story, for “1923” he needed more time. Even if more of “Yellowstone” never came to be, there’s no denying that Sheridan’s commitment to the series shines through these two prequel stories. Luckily, there’s even more Western content on offer.
The first season of “Lawman” adjacent “1883,” an anthology about various Western heroes, will premiere in late 2023, expanding the “Yellowstone” universe far beyond the Duttons who started it. While the first installment is set to continue Bass Reeves’ history, the possibilities for future installments are endless. Maybe we’ll see Sheridan tackle Wyatt Earp in the future, which would be poetic based on Kevin Costner’s film.
More Yellowstone spin-offs are in the works
In addition to the previously released “Yellowstone” prequels and the upcoming “Lawman,” Taylor Sheridan continues to develop additional stories set in the Dutton universe. For starters, the “Yellowstone” spinoff “6666” (set after Jefferson White’s character, Jimmy Hurdstrom, who left the Dutton Ranch for Texas in Season 4) has been in development for a number of years now . In the meantime, Sheridan purchased the famous Four Sixes Ranch, all 270,000 acres, returning him to his Texas cowboy roots. Now that he’s in charge, we hope to see some progress on this long-awaited project.
Along with that, it was reported that another prequel, “1944,” will continue the legacy left by “1883” and “1923” into a new decade of American history. Unfortunately, we don’t know much more about “1994” than the title and, by extension, the year the show will be set. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t more stories involving Dutton. Apparently, Sheridan has some ideas for prequels and other as-yet-unannounced spin-offs in development.
“As long as I do a good job and people don’t get bored of the genre, I think there will be enough for many more [prequels] — three or four,” Sheridan explained to The Hollywood Reporter. “Chris McCarthy trusts me because I’ve never been wrong.” It seems like if we just keep watching, more Westerners will come to see it.
Taylor Sheridan has other non-Yellowstone shows coming up
As if the “Yellowstone” franchise didn’t keep Taylor Sheridan busy enough, the cowboy-turned-actor-turned-filmmaker has signed an exclusive deal with Paramount that will result in more TV shows is just our favorite western band. Alongside “Yellowstone” are shows like “Tulsa King,” starring Sylvester Stallone as a mob enforcer sent to Oklahoma. “Tulsa King” did well enough in its first season to warrant an immediate greenlight for a second, with the possibility of spin-offs in the future.
In 2021, Sheridan’s first pilot script was eventually developed into the hit series “Mayor of Kingstown,” starring Jeremy Renner in the title role. Focusing on a small prison town in Michigan, the series delves into the prison system and the local economy’s dependence on the criminals who live within it. With two seasons under its belt, “Mayor of Kingstown” will likely continue, although no official announcement has been made.
More recently, Sheridan’s latest thriller drama, “Special Ops: Lioness” has made waves by bringing together talent like Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman. However, to show his love for those he’s worked with before, key players of the “Yellowstone” universe Dave Annable, LaMonica Garrett and James Jordan also appear in prominent roles. And don’t forget the upcoming “Land Man,” which will star Billy Bob Thornton as the face of a Texas oil company. Sheridan is really a busy, busy guy.
Hollywood’s current strikes could change everything
As noted earlier, the current strikes in Hollywood spell bad news for “Yellowstone” fans, even if they are intended to benefit the industry. Most of Sheridan’s shows, especially “Yellowstone”, were written entirely by the series’ creator, but the Writers Guild of America strike prevented him from writing any more work on the series. at this time. That doesn’t mean our favorite cowboy filmmaker isn’t still daydreaming about the next phase of his new Western franchise.
But what may have been even more problematic for a production like “Yellowstone” was the simultaneous SAG-AFTRA strike, which left the likes of Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly and the rest of the cast unable to work until the studios and unions come to an agreement. Until this is over, the second half of Season 5 will not be filmed because “Yellowstone” is a union production. Although Sheridan has stated his support for the WGA during the strike, he made some controversial comments during an extended interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
“Artists’ creative freedom must be unrestricted,” he explains. “If they told me, ‘You’re going to have to write a check for $540,000 for four people to sit in a room you never have to meet,’ then that’s between the studio and the union. But if I had to be tested while creating a story with others that I had built entirely in my head, that would probably be the end of my telling stories on TV.” One point of view Interesting, for sure.
Where to see the Yellowstone cosmos
For those looking to completely binge Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western series, you’re a bit out of luck. Jumping the gun into the streaming game, Paramount Network has made an exclusive deal with streaming service Peacock, giving them full streaming rights to every season of “Yellowstone.” Currently, Peacock is the only place to watch the top Costner-led series. Well, unless you watch it live on the Paramount Network, that is (and there’s almost always a “Yellowstone” marathon at the ready).
But there’s good news for fans of the larger “Yellowstone” universe. Paramount didn’t make the same mistake twice. The prequel shows, the miniseries “1883” and the first season of “1923” can be streamed exclusively on Paramount+, along with Sheridan’s nearly complete catalog of other TV projects like ” Special: Lioness”, “Tulsa King” and “Mayor of Kingstown.” Even the Sheridan-produced reality series “The Last Cowboy” can be streamed on Paramount’s service.
Therefore, it seems likely that Sheridan’s projects, including Lawman: Bass Reeves, 1944, 6666, Land Man and the Yellowstone sequel, will find their way to Paramount+. Sadly, they’re not here yet.
