A new report says that season 6 is actually on the table—presumably in addition to The Madison.
Forget everything you thought you knew about Yellowstone’s future. The years-long reporting about rumored spinoffs, Matthew McConaughey-led sequels, and Kevin Costner’s exit following season 5? That’s all over now. According to a new report from Puck’s Matthew Belloni, Paramount is now considering Yellowstone season 6 at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
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.
Will There Be a Season 6 of Yellowstone?
Apparently, yes! Paramount had previously announced that season 6 was scrapped in favor of a sequel series, which would reportedly star Matthew McConaughey. For whatever reason, McConaughey never officially signed on to the project and/or Paramount moved in another direction. The network is now eyeing select Yellowstone cast members (not named Kevin Costner) to return for another season. Season 6 will likely run in conjunction with the new spinoff series, The Madison, with Pfeiffer and Fox. The spinoff is set to take place in the same universe as Yellowstone but follow an entirely new family named the Clyburns. Series creator Taylor Sheridan is reportedly also working on another prequel spinoff set in 1944 at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
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. 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 at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
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. 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 at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know!
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. When Yellowstone eventually returns, the conflict is likely to get even more violent for some of our series leads at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
The storyline of season 5B is essentially ideal for killing off any character whose actor declined to extend their contract with Yellowstone. Specifically, Costner. In addition, there have been no whispers of Bentley making a comeback. As of now, all three of their characters—Reilly, Houser, and Luke Grimes (Kayce)—have been the subject of reports, so it seems likely that they will all make it through the events of season 5B. Since John Dutton isn’t expected to return for the last few episodes, it’s probable that the patriarch of the Dutton family may away off-screen. It’s unclear how Yellowstone will handle John Dutton’s passing. Fans of Yellowstone may not agree, but at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know, a swift, undetected death would be the simplest way for the show to move on.