So it all comes down to this. The time has come to bid farewell to the Dutton family, with Paramount‘s long-running American neo-Western drama Yellowstone to wrap up in November. Now in its fifth season, the Kevin Costner-led ratings juggernaut has proven an international success story, but with a multitude of spin-offs and cast controversy plaguing production, the cowboy soap opera is finally coming to an end.
In a statement, Australian distributor Stan has confirmed that Yellowstone season five part two will release sometime in November this year. The eight-episode first instalment of the fifth season debuted in 2022, leaving fans with more questions than answers. A series of (literal) cliffhangers and the usual over-the-top Dutton family drama kept fan interest high, compounded only by reports that star Kevin Costner was exiting the smash-hit TV series to focus on his two-part Western series Horizon: An American Saga. Thankfully, the Oscar-winner is back on board for one last round, with the second half of Yellowstone season five set to be comprised of six additional episodes.
The initial reports suggested that Horizon would conflict with Costner’s Yellowstone filming schedule, leading many to speculate the series would go on by either recasting his role or gravitating away from the character.
With news that season five will wrap things up for good, Paramount has confirmed that neither is happening. Instead, Yellowstone season five will likely continue to follow Costner’s John Dutton III, now Governor of Montana, as he reluctantly discovers that with great power comes a whole lot of problems.
“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,” said David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios.
While Glasser stopped short of revealing any official story details for Yellowstone season five part two, it’s likely that the second half will resume precisely where we last left our characters. The midseason finale ended with members of the Dutton family entering into an all-out war with one another.
We see Jamie making his intentions clear that he wants to dethrone John from the governor’s office and the final episode saw him plotting his sister Beth’s slaying with the help of Sarah. With a feud brewing between the family members, it appears the Dutton hierarchy is in for a big shake-up and there’s nothing anyone can do to prevent it.
For distributors Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, Yellowstone has been a certified money-maker, propelling creator Taylor Sheridan to the top of television’s totem pole. Paramount’s golden goose has subsequently produced a number of new titles for the streamer, including the Sylvester Stallone gangster series Tulsa King and the Harrison Ford-led Yellowstone spin-off 1923. Just last month, it was confirmed that Sheridan was penning a new Yellowstone sequel, set to star Academy Award-winner Matthew McConaughey.
During the Yellowstone season five part two release date announcement, Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, confirmed that while the original series was ending, Sheridan would be very much involved in the future of the network.
“Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life.”