Yellowstone may not be dead, after all.
Variety reported that knowledgeable "sources” informed the outlet that supporting series stars Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser are in negotiations to lead a potential sixth season. Though the news has not been confirmed, and neither actor has made a deal as of yet, Variety noted that “the plan is for Yellowstone to continue beyond Season 5B, which airs Nov. 10 on Paramount+.”
On Yellowstone, Reilly plays Bethany “Beth” Dutton, the daughter of Kevin Costner’s patriarch, John Dutton III. Hauser plays Beth’s husband, Rip Wheeler, who is employed by and serves as a “fixer” for Dutton Ranch. At this stage, producers are reportedly planning to refocus the show on Reilly and Hauser’s characters.
The plan had initially been for season 5B to be Yellowstone’s final run of episodes. In June, after more than a year of delays and contract negotiations surrounding season 5B, Costner departed the series. Part of his issue was that he didn’t agree with creator Taylor Sheridan’s idea to cut the show from its initial seven-season arc down to five.
Earlier this month, it was reported that a Yellowstone sequel, titled The Madison, would pick up with a new cast of characters led by Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Fox. There were murmurings that Yellowstone regulars—such as Reilly, Hauser, and Wes Bentley—would return for the follow-up, and Hauser himself even hinted at the possibility.
However, future seasons of Yellowstone had not been hinted at and didn’t seem remotely possible following the furor around Costner’s exit and season 5B’s myriad delays. The news is even more surprising coming a week after Reilly was announced as the lead in a new mystery series, which many Yellowstone fans saw as confirmation of the show’s impending finale.
Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Men's Journal.
