Everything you need to know about ‘Yellowstone’ and the whole Taylor Sheridan universe (Will there be another ‘Lioness’ season? Is ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ coming back? We have thoughts for all of your questions.)
Ever since the first half of Yellowstone season 5 ended on January 1, 2023, the question on everyone’s (okay, many people’s) minds has been: “What’s going on with Yellowstone?”
The question has continued to burn as the year has gone on. First, Kevin Costner, who plays rich ranch owner John Dutton, wants his filming schedule cut down to almost nothing so that he can focus on directing and starring in his own series of Western films, making the back half of Season 5 hard to film.
Then, Paramount announced that Yellowstone would be ending after the Season 5 conclusion, which would return in November and be followed by a new sequel series. Then it became clear that neither of those things could happen anywhere near November due to multiple entertainment industry strikes, along with the fact that creator Taylor Sheridan hasn’t finished writing or even fully developing any of the promised shows. So fans have simply had to spend their summer placating themselves with Sheridan’s Special Ops: Lioness and letting their many Yellowstone questions linger in the background.
Now that Lioness is about to end its first season and Costner’s very expensive dirty laundry is being aired out via his divorce documents, it feels like a good time to round up all the questions, all the answers, and answer “What’s going on with Yellowstone?” as best we can.
Here’s what we know.
Is Yellowstone over?
Not yet. It will end with the second half of Season 5, which has not yet been filmed.
So it’s not coming back in November?
No. Writers and actors are currently on strike, so it cannot be written or filmed.
Is the sequel spinoff still coming in December?
No, for the same reasons stated above.
Did Kevin Costner leave Yellowstone?
Not yet. It was announced that he will leave the show at the end of Season 5. Then it was announced that the whole show will end with Season 5, which is only halfway finished.
So will Kevin Costner return whenever the second half of Season 5 can film?
If there’s any justice in this world, yes. He has not yet been written out of the show, but there were reported disagreements over how his character would be written out.
Will John Dutton be written out before the series finale?
Probably. In the Hollywood Reporter profile of Sheridan, it was hinted that John was never going to be around for the end of the show anyway.
Will John Dutton die?
Probably, though Sheridan said it would not be in a “f–k you car crash,” which is to say he’s not punishing John for any issues with Costner. John has simply done enough killing and death is a big enough theme on the show that it would almost be weird to leave him alive at the end.
Will the show continue in a sequel series?
This is unclear. Paramount’s original announcement on May 5 said that an “untitled Yellowstone sequel” would premiere in December, “picking up where Yellowstone leaves off.” But in the THR profile, published in June, Sheridan hinted that it would be more of a standalone story, though at the time he only had the “broadest strokes” worked out.
Will Matthew McConaughey star in the sequel?
Possibly! He has not officially signed on, and no other announcements have been made about the series, but here’s everything we know about it so far.
Where is the Four Sixes spinoff?
Delayed. Sheridan now owns the famous Four Sixes ranch in Texas, but told THR that there are “sensitivities” surrounding the real, working ranch that he wants to consider as he develops the series, which was announced back in 2021.
Will there still be more 1883?
Probably not. Despite Paramount+ announcing in February 2022 that there would be “more” of the Yellowstone prequel, it appears that’s not actually happening. The beginning of 1923 explained what happened to the Duttons after they settled in Montana in 1883, and Sheridan seemed pretty satisfied with the story after the finale aired. He told Deadline, “I created this peek through time to show you this one specific journey. I’m not someone who likes to tie everything up in a bow and explain how everyone lived happily after, or didn’t. I’d rather you imagine it, and wonder what Thomas and Noemi made of their lives. You never get to see how James and Margaret move on. You did seem them in a flashback as having moved on, and so that’s what I cared to explore. On to the next peek through the window…For me, as a storyteller it feels close ended. I’m going to peek through the window of a different era and see what I see then.”
Is there a Season 2 of 1923?
There will be at some point. Filming has not resumed yet, so that cliffhanger (featuring Spencer Dutton and his new wife Alex being cruelly torn away from each other on their way back to Montana to save the ranch) is gonna have to last us a while.
Does Lawmen: Bass Reeves have anything to do with ‘Yellowstone?’
No. It was, at one point, described as an 1883 spinoff, but now it’s the first in an anthology series about famous lawmen. David Oyelowo stars in the upcoming show.
Does Land Man have anything to do with Yellowstone?
No, though “Land Man” could be John Dutton’s nickname. Land Man is actually an upcoming Sheridan show based on the podcast “Boomtown.” It stars Billy Bob Thornton and is set in the West Texas oil fields.
Is Special Ops: Lioness getting a Season 2?
It hasn’t been officially renewed, but it’s a hit, so a Season 2 seems likely.
Is Tulsa King coming back for Season 2?
Yes. It was renewed in November 2022, but strikes have delayed production.
Is Mayor of Kingstown coming back for Season 3?
Probably. It hasn’t been renewed yet, but when the second season was airing, star Jeremy Renner was still recovering from getting run over by a snow plow, so Paramount can be forgiven for the delay…for now.
Does the Tulsa King live in Kingstown?
No, but you know you’d watch a crossover where the Tulsa King goes to prison in Kingstown.
Can I still only watch Yellowstone on Peacock?
Yellowstone’s exclusive streaming home is still Peacock, but the show will begin airing on CBS on Sundays this fall.