ould the Dutton ranch shut down for good? Various reports are emerging that Yellowstone star Kevin Costner might be on the verge of breaking up with Taylor Sheridan’s hit Western series and a lynchpin of Paramount’s TV and streaming ambitions. Given the studio’s investment in Sheridan’s ever-expanding universe — not to mention the huge ratings for both the main series and its Paramount+ spinoffs 1883 and 1923 — there’s little chance of Yellowstone going away entirely, even if Costner heads off for greener pastures. But the face of the franchise might look a little different going forward. Here’s what you need to know about what’s happening behind the scenes.
Is Kevin Costner quitting Yellowstone?
Prior to Yellowstone‘s launch in 2018, Costner had largely phased out of a decades-spanning “leading man” era that included such major motion pictures as Bull Durham, Dances With Wolvesand Waterworld. Instead, the Oscar-winning actor and director was largely taking supporting roles in everything from Man of Steel to Hidden Figures. Like many movie stars of his generation — think Jessica Lange on American Horror Story and Jeff Daniels on The Newsroom — Costner pivoted to television in search of meaty star turns. And he’s certainly front and center in Yellowstone as John Dutton III, the ranch owner that’s been fending off challenges to his throne for five seasons now.
Costner’s still-potent star power helped Yellowstone get on the air and bring in an audience that’s swelled throughout additional seasons. (The Season 5 premiere attracted a record 12.1 million viewers last November.) But according to Variety, as the show’s popularity grew, the actor started to scale back his shooting days in what can be a grueling TV schedule. Deadline reports that Costner previously limited his time on set to 65 days and tried to reduce that to 50 days for the first part of Season 5, which aired its midseason finale on Jan. 1.
For the second half of the season — originally expected to premiere over the summer — Costner informed Paramount that he wanted to shoot all of his scenes in a week, a request that could be due to the fact that he’s also in the middle of directing and starring in the feature film Horizon for New Line Cinema. Paramount reportedly rejected that proposal, creating the current stalemate. At the same time, neither Costner nor Paramount has said that they’re officially walking away. “We have no news to report,” a Paramount Network spokesperson told Deadline. “Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come.”
Will Matthew McConaughey join the Dutton clan?
Here’s how you know the Yellowstone franchise will be alright alright alright. Even before the Costner news broke, Paramount was reportedly in talks with Texas’s biggest movie star, Matthew McConaughey, about headlining yet another spinoff. According to Deadline, the still-untitled show — may we suggest Magic Matt? — would take place in another corner of the Yellowstone universe and could potentially bring over some of the other stars of the mothership series, including Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly. Deadline’s sources also indicate that Paramount is now actively pursuing the spinoff as they continue to negotiate with Costner about Yellowstone‘s future.
Not surprisingly, Paramount isn’t announcing that the Dallas Buyers Club Oscar-winner has actually signed on the dotted line. “Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built,” the same Paramount spokesperson told Deadline. “Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, it’s not uncommon for studios to use this kind of brinkmanship to make a star think twice about leaving. Floating the idea of ending Yellowstone in favor of a McConaughey-led spinoff could be a negotiating tactic to find common ground with Costner over an agreeable number of shooting days for the current and potential future seasons of Yellowstone. After all, you wouldn’t want to leave the guy with… No Way Out.
What does this mean for Faith Hill and Harrison Ford?
Regardless of what happens with Costner, the Yellowstone spinoffs 1883 and 1923 will continue to mosey along the Paramount+ prairie. Although the 19th century set prequel series that depicted the founding of the Dutton ranch — and featured Faith Hill as Costner’s grand-grandmother — came to a definitive conclusion, Sheridan revealed that Season 2 would focus on a different Old West yarn in that same era. Bring on 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, starring David Oyelowo as the first Black man to patrol the Wild West as a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Dennis Quaid will also appear in the show as as a fictional lawman.
Meanwhile, the pre-Great Depression series 1923 — starring Harrison Ford as Costner’s great-great uncle — was just picked up for Season 2 in February. With strong ratings for the series, it’s likely to continue into the actual Great Depression as well.
What new Yellowstone shows are on the horizon?
Believe it or not, there’s still one more Yellowstone spinoff that has yet to gallop onto screens. One of those is called 6666, which is not set in the distant future. Instead, the title refers to a famous West Texas ranch that was seen on Season 4 of Yellowstone. Originally announced in 2021, the series will also take place in the 19th century and depict the early history of the ranch. No casting has been revealed for 6666, but Paramount would like it to launch on Paramount Network later this year — especially if the studio is about to say “So long, pardner” to Costner.
Yellowstone currently airs on the Paramount Network; past seasons are streaming on Peacock.
