Since the mid-season finale back in January, fans of Yellowstone have been waiting with bated breath for the show’s supposed return this summer, but will it return at all? While the show was meant to return with the back half of season 5 this summer, many now suspect that if and when season 5 does resume, it will be its last episodes.
The back half of season 5 has yet to begin filming and there’s no hint of a filming date on the horizon. The rumor mill is speculating on whether part two will happen at all. With the ongoing rumors of a feud between the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan, and the show’s lead star, Kevin Costner, production on the remainder of the season has stalled. Sheridan, who has an overall deal with Paramount, might be spread a little thin between all the shows he has created and has input on. Sheridan’s shows currently on the streamer include 1883 (starring Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Sam Elliott), Tulsa King (starring Sylvester Stallone), Mayor of Kingstown (starring Jeremy Renner) and 1923 (starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren).
Other shows that are currently in production or in development include Lioness (starring Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman), Bass Reeves (starring David Oyelowo and Dennis Quaid). Future Yellowstone spinoff series include 1944 and 6666, which is a present-day spinoff series based on the famed Four Sixes ranch in Texas, as well as a yet-to-be-named spinoff (maybe 6666) starring Matthew McConaughey.
A source told The New York Post, “It’s the same as with any showrunner and big star—there’s respect, but there’s friction.”
Yellowstone debuted on Paramount Network back in 2018 as the network’s first scripted series. The show garnered critics’ praise and had enough viewers (around 5 million) to greenlight a second season. As buzz grew, so did the show’s audience. The season 5 premiere had over 12 million viewers tuning in to the Western family drama.
Another source told the Post that while egos may be at play, it might not be Costner’s that has stalled production, “Taylor is the star of his show. He’s the most important person on all of his shows.” The source also told the Post, Costner was supposedly set to return to work in January, but there were no scripts to film.
Costner, who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Yellowstone’s patriarch, John Dutton, has other projects outside the series that he has committed to which also puts a wrench in filming for the remainder of season 5. He is currently working on a four-film series, Horizon: An American Saga.
Sheridan, Costner, and other major cast members from Yellowstone were noticeably absent from a Paleyfest event earlier this month. With a possible WGA writers’ strike on the horizon, Yellowstone may be the one series that benefits from a production pause. A strike could give both creator and star time to work things out and return to production in Montana.