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 at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.
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.
Puck also revealed earlier this year that Costner’s group was, in fact, “still asking that Sheridan bring him back to finish his arc.” Despite Costner’s absence from season 5B, a sixth season would give Paramount more time to negotiate a new contract with the actor. The network might then choose to either retain him attached to the show or even wrap up his character’s arc on screen. All we need is for Paramount to formally inform us of what’s really happening 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.
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. It might not feel right for Yellowstone fans, but a quick, unseen death may be the easiest way for the series to move on at Yellowstone Season 6: Everything We Know.