As rough as it’s been for “Yellowstone” wondering if and when the show would ever return to close out on its fifth season, the situation has obviously been all the more hectic for everyone involved with the show. Following months of rumors about star Kevin Costner’s alleged demands about scheduling, the actor’s wife Christine Baumgarten made the stunning move to file for divorce, which was soon followed by the official confirmation that the remaining episodes will film and air later this year, and will serve as “Yellowstone’s” swan song, making way for a brand new sequel spinoff. The Emmy-winning actor was alleged to be “blindsided” by the divorce news, but an insider close to the now-former couple is claiming there’s a little more to those scheduling rumors that indicate Costner shouldn’t have been surprised at all. These newer claims tie back to a prior report that centered on the assertion that Christine Baumgartner gave Costner the ultimatum to leave “Yellowstone” and its lengthy filming schedule behind. According to OK Magazine, the John Dutton portrayer supposedly did lay her demands out there to the western drama’s producers, only to go and derail that goodwill with more Hollywood projects.
Yellowstone‘s run of success has been largely unparalleled as far as television’s most current era goes. From quietly rising in the ranks with its first three seasons to crushing all the ratings from Season 4 onward, Paramount Network’s neo-western remains one of the biggest shows on TV, despite not having aired a new episode in a year and a half. Though there are other upcoming Yellowstone shows to look forward to, the most important thing to most fans is seeing how the show comes to its end, when it’ll actually hit the 2024 TV schdule, and whether or not Kevin Costner will be involved.
While the latter is still up in the air, as are details about the already announced spinoff series, Paramount Network has finally revealed the biggest detail possible about the final batch of Yellowstone episodes, which will presumably be available to stream with a Peacock subscription for those without the linear channel.
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That’s precisely what we’re here to dig into, as it’s been well over a year since Season 5 closed out with its winter finale, (which can be streamed with a . In that time, Kevin Costner got divorced and wrapped filming on his new multi-film project Horizon: A Western Saga, while Taylor Sheridan debuted two new shows and delivered Mayor of Kingstown’s second season. Not to mention a new series was announced to be joining the lineup of . So let’s take a look below at where everything currently stands.
When Will Yellowstone Season 5’s Final Episodes Air?
Paramount Network originally sought to bring Yellowstone back in Summer 2023, following the series’ first ever midseason hiatus, but those plans went south once all the behind-the-scenes reports hit the fan. Then the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes happened, which caused further delays for the creative team. When those were resolved, Paramount execs revealed that the now-final season would debut in November 2024, around two years after the premiere aired.
Now, on the eight-year anniversary of Yellowstone‘s series premiere airing, Paramount Network has confirmed Season 5 will return on Sunday, November 10. Check out the teaser video that was released.
One can only hope that teaser means somebody is getting branded anew in the final episodes.
How Far Into Production Is Yellowstone Season 5?
Production on Yellowstone’s final run reportedly kicked off in Montana in late May, and is expected to last for a few months, with the plan obviously being to have everything completely wrapped and ready to air by November 10. It’s fairly vital for the Taylor Sheridan drama to utilize the summer months for production, as Montana’s winter weather can be fierce and not easy to film in, which is why the Duttons aren’t seen dealing with snow and rain very often.
While it’s not altogether clear how far along things currently are, star Ryan Bingham shared a post alongside co-star Jen Landon to hype up being back on the ranch.
Will Kevin Costner Return To Film John Dutton’s Exit?
While we know Yellowstone won’t be making it to a sixth season, it’s unclear whether it will be wrapping up its five season run with its most recognizable protagonist in Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. It was reported early on that he’d dropped out of the show entirely to focus on filming for his upcoming Horizon: An American Saga features, but once cooler heads prevailed behind the scenes, and the filmmaker’s highly publicized divorce was settled, rumors spread that his return was indeed possible.
Those rumors only gained traction once Kevin Costner himself finally started talking about Yellowstone again after avoiding bringing it up for the majority of 2023 and early 2024. That said, his comments have been non-commital, but fall on the side of being optimistic that something could work out allowing him to film John Dutton’s swan song. But the fact that he’s currently busy filming Horizon‘s third movie in the midst of the western drama’s production makes it seem possible Yellowstone could end without any further appearances from the family patriarch.
If that doesn’t happen, Yellowstone will still need to figure out a way to close out John’s story in a way that will be pleasing to both fans and others working on the show. We reported on rumors indicating Kevin Costner wants a say in how John’s story concludes, though it’s unclear whether or not Taylor Sheridan would humor such requests after everything that went on.
What Else Can Yellowstone Fans Look Forward To Besides Season 5’s Ending?
For all the rumored toil and trouble that affected the mothership series, the Yellowstone franchise as a whole remains an ever-growing entertainment powerhouse. And that’s speaking entirely about the TV side of things, and not the equally exponential growth of Yellowstone merchandise, from clothing lines to Funko Pop figures to board games to Taylor Sheridan’s coffee brand and wine club. (Even 1883 has Funko Pops.)
Outside of all that, fans can look forward to more from the Dutton family’s prequel adventures, first via the second season of 1923, with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren set to reprise their acclaimed roles of Jacob and Cara Dutton. Production for Season 2 is shifting from Montana to Austin, TX, and is expected to begin in July.
Beyond that, Paramount Network confirmed the existence of a sequel series (titled 2024) set to immediately follow the events of Yellowstone proper, which has long had Matthew McConaughey pegged to lead a cast featuring several stars returning from the main series. However, contract negotiations have reportedly been a cause for the Texas actor’s hesitance to sign on, while other contract negotiations could reportedly cause Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly to bow out of reprising Rip and Beth.
A new spinoff series was also announced in the realm of prequels to follow-up a generation after Jacob and Cara’s reign. Fans will be able to catch up with the next batch of Duttons in 1944, which currently doesn’t have any cast members or major details locked down.
Finally, not much has been said about the long-awaited 6666 spinoff set at the historic Texas ranch that Taylor Sheridan now co-owns. But as far as we know, the project is still planned for the future, with Jefferson White’s Jimmy still set to be the key protagonist.
While waiting for a final season trailer, don’t forget a Paramount+ subscription is the only place to find 1883, 1923, and Sheridan’s other series such as Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, and Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
