“‘Yellowstone’ May Get an Unexpected Sixth Season as Stars Discuss New Deals, Despite Costner’s Departure”
‘Yellowstone’ May Return for an Unexpected Sixth Season: Negotiations Underway Despite Costner’s Departure
The hit western drama series Yellowstone might be gearing up for a surprising sixth season, according to multiple reports from Tuesday. This comes months after Kevin Costner left the show, which was initially announced to end with its fifth season. The departure was attributed to scheduling conflicts and reported clashes with showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
While a sixth season is not yet confirmed, outlets including Puck News, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline have reported that Paramount is currently in talks to secure an additional season featuring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser.
In the series, Reilly portrays Beth Dutton, the daughter of ranch owner John Dutton III, a role previously played by Kevin Costner. Costner’s exit was linked to scheduling conflicts between Yellowstone and his film series Horizon. Negotiations for Reilly and Hauser were initially believed to be for a potential Yellowstone spinoff.
Paramount had announced in May 2023 that the fifth season would be the series’ final chapter, alongside the introduction of a new sequel series titled The Madison.
Forbes has reached out to Paramount for further comment.
Reports from February 2023 suggested that Costner and Sheridan had disagreements over scheduling, with Costner reportedly wanting to limit his shooting time for the second part of season five. This led to disputes over his proposed schedule, and Paramount’s rejection of it. Costner later clarified in an interview with GQ in May 2024 that the delayed completion of scripts left him with only one week before beginning work on Horizon.
Background
Yellowstone grew significantly in popularity over its run, becoming one of television’s top scripted shows and fostering a growing franchise. Season five premiered to 8.8 million viewers on the Paramount Network and a combined 12.1 million across various networks. The show’s popularity surged during the 2023 Hollywood strikes, drawing 6.8 million viewers on CBS for its network premiere. Spinoff series 1883 and 1923 debuted in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and The Madison, with Michelle Pfeiffer in the lead role, is currently in production. Additional spinoff series 6666 and 1944 are also reportedly in development.
What to Watch For
The second part of Yellowstone season five—featuring the first episodes without Costner—is set to premiere on November 10.
Tangent
Kevin Costner’s film Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1, the first installment of a planned four-part series, opened in theaters in June but faced disappointing box office results and critical reviews. Consequently, the release of Chapter 2 has been postponed, with its premiere now scheduled for the Venice Film Festival on September 7.
