A new report says that season 6 is actually on the table—presumably in addition to The Madison.
Disregard all you previously believed to be true about Yellowstone’s prospects. The prolonged speculation over potential spinoffs, sequels starring Matthew McConaughey, and Kevin Costner’s departure after season five? All of that is now past. Matthew Belloni of Puck has reported that Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know is now being considered by Paramount.
Variety confirmed the story, including new information that fan-favorites Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton) and Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler) are currently in talks to return. Paramount has yet to comment on the rumors. Just last week, the network announced a sequel series titled The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lost’s Matthew Fox. That news had already opened a can of worms regarding Yellowstone’s future. Now? Anything’s possible. Hell, maybe Kevin Costner can come back at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
For everything we know about Yellowstone season 6, read on below at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
Will There Be a Season 6 of Yellowstone?
Looks like the answer is yes! Prior to the announcement of a followup series starring Matthew McConaughey, Paramount had said that season 6 was canceled. For whatever reason, McConaughey never committed to the movie in writing, and/or Paramount took a different turn. The network is currently considering having some of the Yellowstone cast—aside from Kevin Costner—return for a second season. The Madison, a new spinoff series starring Pfeiffer and Fox, will probably air concurrently with Season 6. The spinoff, which centers on the Clyburn family, will be set in the same universe as Yellowstone but will be set in a different family.Taylor Sheridan, the showrunner, is apparently also developing a prequel spinoff, Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know, which is set in 1944.
What About Kevin Costner Returning?
Of course, continuing Yellowstone past season 5B—which is set to premiere this November—very much complicates Sheridan’s reported feud with Costner at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know. The series was originally set to conclude without its leading patriarch and end the Dutton saga later this year. Now the actor’s behind-the-scenes battle with Sheridan over filming schedules and contracts is more confusing than ever before at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
Though the actor has stated that he will not appear in Yellowstone’s final episodes, the season 5B episodes are potentially no longer the end of the series. Even worse, part of Costner’s contract dispute revolved around the actor’s claim that he was supposed to get paid for a potential season 6 and season 7 of Yellowstone, which the network made moot when they decided to end the series after season 5B. That’s no longer the case.
Earlier this year, Puck also reported that Costner’s team was actually “still asking that Sheridan bring him back to finish his arc.” Though Costner will not appear in season 5B, continuing the series into season 6 would provide Paramount with more time to work out a new deal with the actor at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know. Then the network could either finish off his character’s story on-screen or even keep him involved with the show. We just need Paramount to officially tell us WTF is going on!
Okay, So Where Does the Story Even Go from Here?
When we last left the Dutton family, everyone was preparing to kill each other. In the midseason finale, Jamie (Wes Bentley) considers impeaching his father to win his seat as governor and finally enact his revenge. But when John (Costner) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) escalate the conflict themselves, it turns violent before Jamie has a chance to make the first move. Beth breaks into Jamie’s place and bashes her brother’s head in with a rock—only to threaten that she could finish the job whenever she wants. Then Jamie considers murder himself at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know. When Yellowstone eventually returns, the conflict is likely to get even more violent for some of our series leads.
Basically, season 5B’s plot is the perfect way to kill off any character whose actor didn’t sign a new contract to continue with Yellowstone. Namely, Costner. At the same time, Bentley hasn’t been mentioned in rumors to return either. We’ve only seen reports about Reilly, Houser, and Luke Grimes (Kayce) so far, meaning that all three of their characters will likely survive the events of season 5B. It remains unknown how Yellowstone will handle John Dutton’s death, but it’s possible that the Dutton family patriarch dies off-screen, since he’s not set to return for the final episodes at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know. It might not feel right for Yellowstone fans, but a quick, unseen death may be the easiest way for the series to move on.