Just when we thought Yellowstone’s fate had been sealed, we have another twist in the tale for the smash-hit western’s future.
A year after Paramount Network announced that the Kevin Costner drama would wrap up with the back half of its fifth season, a stunning new report has emerged that the show will continue.
According to Puck, Yellowstone Season 6 is officially in the works, but don’t expect Costner to be involved.
As you’ll likely recall, Costner was famously let go from the drama last year amid allegations that he didn’t want to commit to any more than a handful of filming days for the back half of Season 5.
Now, Costner will not appear on the show in any capacity, meaning that John Dutton’s storyline is over.
There’s no telling whether a time jump will be utilized to explain his absence because the first half of Season 5 concluded with John very much alive.
He wouldn’t leave his beloved ranch or career behind, so the writers must get creative here.
Yellowstone stars were initially supposed to move to a sequel
Initially, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, and Kelly Reilly were set to segue into the first modern-day spinoff of Yellowstone, which is now titled The Madison.
While that show is still going forward, it will be with Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick J. Adams, and Matthew Fox.
There is still potential for some crossovers down the line, but as of now, the two shows will be separate.
Earlier this year, Luke, Cole, and Kelly’s involvement with the spinoff was said to be in question due to a salary dispute because the cast reportedly had pay-or-play contracts for Season 6, meaning they would still get their salaries whether they filmed it or not.
If the above is true, the decision to bring the show back probably made more financial sense because many cast members were getting paid for the season regardless.
The big question now is how the show will bounce back because all signs indicate that the back half of Season 5 will end the drama’s long-running storylines.
Paramount should confirm the report soon
Paramount Network has yet to comment on the reports, but Puck was right about much of the initial drama that got the show canceled last year, so we’re inclined to believe it’s only a matter of time before the cabler makes the news official.
We know now that Yellowstone will return after a 22-month hiatus in November.
Beyond that, it’s hard to tell how the show can continue, but given the impressive ratings, losing the original Yellowstone would be a big hit to the cable TV market.
Yellowstone Season 5B premieres on Paramount Network on Sunday, November 10, at 8/7c. Stream Seasons 1-4 on Peacock.