'Yellowstone' to End After Season Five, With Sequel to Follow

Paramount's neo-Western juggernaut Yellowstone is coming to an end, the network announced on Friday. But fans won't have to mourn the series for very long, because a sequel series will be right on its tail.

The massively popular tentpole series will conclude with the second half of season five, which will air in November. Meanwhile, the untitled sequel is dropping on Paramount+ in December. Details are still under wraps, but it's been widely speculated that Matthew McConaughey is in talks to star in the new series, which will also feature most of the cast of the original Yellowstone. Series creator Taylor Sheridan will likewise be at the helm of the new series.

The news comes amid rumors that series star Kevin Costner, who plays Dutton family patriarch John Dutton, wouldn't be returning to the series. Costner is currently focusing his attention on the Western epic Horizon, which already has three sequels greenlit. 

The move is also a savvy one on Paramount's part, since rival streamer Peacock currently has exclusive streaming rights to Yellowstone, whereas Paramount+ has ownership of the franchise’s spinoffs, including 1883 and 1923.

“Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits—from 1883 to Tulsa King," said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, in a statement. "I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life."

The first half of Yellowstone season five premiered in November 2022, amassing a whopping 17 million viewers.