“Yellowstone” will officially come to an end with the second half of season 5 but a spinoff sequel series has already been ordered as a replacement…
“Yellowstone” is coming to an end.
The hit series that airs on the Paramount Network will come to a surprising end with the second half of season 5, which was originally slated to debut this summer but will now premiere in November instead. The show comes to an end due to ongoing conflict with series star Kevin Costner, who has been battling with his shooting schedule for the series.
Rumors surfaced earlier this year that Costner was clashing with “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan over his availability for production, which led to the possibility that the series would come to an abrupt end. Now that has become reality with “Yellowstone” set to wrap up with the fifth — and now final — season with those last episodes debuting in November.
The good news is that the “Yellowstone” universe will continue with a spinoff series that’s already in the works from Sheridan that will also feature members from the original cast, although details about who will remain from the previous series is still unknown.
The sequel was given a direct to series order at Paramount with the show expected to debut in December on the Paramount Network before then moving to Paramount+. Matthew McConaughey has been in talks to star in the “Yellowstone” spinoff series, although he still hasn’t struck a deal at this time to take on the lead role.
It’s unknown if the “Yellowstone” spinoff would still take place on the Dutton family ranch in Montana or receive a new location. All of that won’t likely be decided until the cast is finalized and Sheridan has a better idea of the story he plans to tell in the new “Yellowstone” series.
“Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life,” Chris McCarthy, President & CEO Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement.
Of course, “Yellowstone” has been the biggest show on cable over the past few years so losing the series is a devastating blow to Paramount but obviously the studio is pivoting towards this spinoff series rather quickly. Another reason why “Yellowstone” is ending and a sequel has been ordered comes down to streaming because the original show had a contract to air all seasons on Peacock, which was a deal struck before Paramount+ got up and running.
The new sequel series would not deal with those same restraints, which likely played at least some small part in the decision to launch a whole new show rather than just moving forward with “Yellowstone” season 6.
Filming on the second half of “Yellowstone” season 5 was expected to start in August, although now with the ongoing writer’s strike, it’s possible that date gets pushed back further into 2023. Filming dates could also depend on getting Costner back into production and that apparently remains a work in progress.
With “Yellowstone” no longer returning in the summer, the Paramount Network is planning on airing the entire first season of “1883” — the prequel series to “Yellowstone” — with episodes beginning on Sunday, June 18.
