Flagship Paramount Series 'Yellowstone' to End with Season 5, Sequel Series to Debut in December

by Darian Scalamoni

    It's official, John Dutton is leaving behind his beloved Yellowstone ranch. That's right, Variety has confirmed in a report that the flagship Western epic housed on Paramount Network will end with the second half of Season 5 which will launch in November. However, the news also notes that a sequel series has been ordered and will debut in December. 

    We here at Cinema Wave reported back in February that there was a major disagreement regarding Kevin Costner's filming schedule and due to him being the patriarch of the series, it had led to a major falling out between Costner and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. Many have speculated that this would happen due to Costner's desire to work on his own epic Western, Horizon which would have impacted his availability to film Yellowstone. In our original report from February, we also alluded to the possibility of Matthew McConaughey (True Detective, Dallas Buyers Club) joining the cast for that now-announced sequel series. Many of the other series regulars such as Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes and others are expected to return for that show.

    Yellowstone has been at the climax of hits for Paramount for the past 5+ years leading to multiple spinoff series such as 1883 and 1923. Additionally, Sheridan has become the poster child of many original shows for Paramount+, having steer headed all Yellowstone-adjacent programming as well as recent hit, Tulsa King starring Sylvester Stallone. Current plot and casting details for the sequel series debuting in December are purely speculative but given that Season 5 will begin in November, many can anticipate that it could be a soft retooling of the series, possibly killing off Costner's Dutton before introducing a new character (such as a McConaughey) to keep audiences happy. 

    The series still remains a massive success on cable, with the Season 5 premiere, which aired back in November 2022 garnering 17 million viewers. That's a staggering number for a show that is not reliant on streaming. Though the last few seasons have also received critical acclaim, including a win for Costner at the most recent Golden Globe Awards, I was a fan of the series more so within the first few installments.

    What do you guys think about this news of Costner leaving Yellowstone? Let us know in the comment section!