On Friday, Paramount Network made two announcements concerning the future of its marquis series, Yellowstone: The second part of Season 5, originally set to air this summer, will now release in November and be the final season of the show. That final season will also be followed by a sequel series, not yet titled, which airs in December.
The news follows a somewhat tumultuous week of publicity, during which it was reported that series lead Kevin Costner may not be returning to the show. Those rumors have been circulating in some form now for months. Earlier this year, there had been reports of friction between Costner and production. Costner is currently directing and starring in a western film for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema called Horizon.
Costner’s involvement with Horizon was apparently creating frustration on set. Season 5, which will be split into two parts (the first wrapped in January), planned to resume filming for a summer release. Costner, however, reportedly proposed cutting his filming time down significantly due to production conflicts.
As of now, it’s not yet clear if Costner will appear in this final part of Yellowstone’s now final season, which will pick up again in November. As for the sequel, Paramount stated that a cast will be announced shortly.
One name, however, appears to be a strong possibility. Earlier this year, after rumors surfaced that production might replace Costner or move in a new direction without him, Matthew McConaughey was reported to be in talks with production. His involvement with the new December sequel series isn’t yet confirmed.
David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios, which produces Yellowstone alongside MTV Entertainment Studios, gave a small preview of the upcoming sequel: “The Dutton story continues, picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale. We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world.”
The statement—while somewhat vague—does suggest that the Yellowstone “sequel” could play out like something of a Season 6 for the series. It would be Yellowstone, only without the name or its lead star.
Both the final batch of Yellowstone Season 5 episodes and the brand-new sequel series will release on Paramount Networks and Paramount+.
