What does the future hold for Paramount Network's Yellowstone series after Season 5 Part 2 is finally released? Will there be a Season 6?
Yellowstone is one of the most popular shows on TV, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't gone through its fair share of problems (quite the opposite actually).
Many fans excitedly awaited the arrival of Season 5 and all of the Western drama it would bring with it. While Part 1 came out on the Paramount Network with no issues back in November 2022, everyone is still waiting on any updates regarding Part 2.
Will Yellowstone End With Season 5?
Despite Yellowstone's growing popularity, Deadline reported in May that Paramount Network and series creator and writer Taylor Sheridan would end the show after Part 2 of Season 5 aired.
This announcement came after Sheridan and series lead Kevin Costner couldn't come to an agreement about filming dates for Part 2, and at this point, it is unclear whether Costner will be back at all for the final episodes of the show.
Filming for Part 2 was initially supposed to begin all the way back in March, but it kept being delayed due to disagreements between Costner and Sheridan.
Other reports stated that as much as possible was resolved around the middle of summer and that Part 2 could begin shooting in August.
However, as Kayce Dutton actor Luke Grimes pointed out at the beginning of August, they hadn't filmed any of Part 2 "because of the writers' strike."
The actors' strike has made a big impact on filming, as not a single shot of Part 2 can actually be filmed until the actors' strike is over.
Based on current projections, the strike should end relatively soon (at the time of writing), and Part 2 could finally go into production around the beginning of 2024.
Even though Yellowstone was confirmed to be ending with the release of Season 5 Part 2, fans will at least be able to look to the future in anticipation of the many spin-off shows that are already in development.
Which Yellowstone Spin-Off Shows Are Being Planned?
Yellowstone is the flagship show of Sheridan's entire Dutton saga, but multiple other series have either already been released or are being planned by Sheridan and Paramount.
The first Yellowstone spin-off that was already released was the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill-led 1883 series, which followed the Duttons and told the initial story of how they journeyed to Montana following the Civil War.
Another spin-off titled 1923 then came out almost a year later in December 2022 which starred legendary actors Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren.
1883 was a one-season limited series for Paramount, but it was already confirmed that a Season 2 of 1923 is on the way from Sheridan.
However, these two stories aren't the only Yellowstone spin-offs that are currently mapped out, so what exactly does Taylor Sheridan have planned for his Western universe?
1.) Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is a Yellowstone project that is currently flying a bit under the radar, as it will not focus on any members of the Dutton family.
Instead, the upcoming show will star David Oyelowo and be centered around the legendary real-life Bass Reeves, who was said to be the first Black U.S. Marshal in the history of the United States.
The true story of Bass Reeves is that he was able to catch an incredibly high number of criminals during the lawless time known as the Wild West, which is just one reason that he is considered a legendary figure.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves was actually able to finish filming just before the actors' strike began, so Season 1 is expected to be released sometime near the end of 2023 or the very beginning of 2024.
2.) 1944
Not much is known about the upcoming 1944 show, but it is likely to showcase how the Duttons survived one of the harshest time periods in all of American history - the Great Depression.
The year 1944 was also nearing the end of World War II (which officially ended on September 2, 1945), so it is possible that the upcoming spin-off could also explore how the war affected the Duttons.
Perhaps some of the Duttons even joined the United States military and the war had a profound effect on them, which would allow for 1944 to be more of a character study rather than a Western drama.
3.) 6666
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan (who is also the creator and writer of all of these spin-offs) actually owns the 142,000-acre 6666 Ranch in Texas that one of his upcoming spin-offs will be based on.
The real-life 6666 Ranch has a huge history in itself, but Sheridan's show will just be a continuation of Yellowstone instead of focusing on that history.
It is unclear whether any of Yellowstone's actors will show up in 6666, but it will likely be led by Jefferson White's Jimmy Hurdstrom.
4.) Matthew McConaughey Spin-Off
When it was reported that Yellowstone would be officially ending after Season 5, it was also revealed that Hollywood veteran Matthew McConaughey would be bringing his talents to the Western genre and serving as the lead for one of Sheridan's spin-offs.
Some fans theorized that McConaughey's character could actually take the place of Kevin Costner's John Dutton so that the flagship show could continue, but as of right now, it seems as though the actor will be involved in an entirely new story.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan himself even commented on casting McConaughey in his universe, and he called the actor "a natural fit," while also revealing that he had been giving Sheridan some ideas "over the years:"
"We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching 'Yellowstone' and responded to it. He was like, 'I want to do that.' And by that he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, 'Buddy, that we can do.'"
No other details have been given as of this writing in regards to McConaughey's casting or what his upcoming spin-off could be about.
However, now that the writers' strike is officially over and the actors's strike seems to be trending in the right direction, fans can expect to hear more about these shows sometime soon.
Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 has no official release date as of yet.
