Paramount to end ‘Yellowstone’ after S5 as latest spin-off confirmed

Yellowstone

Paramount is bringing the curtain down on ratings smash Yellowstone at the end of its upcoming fifth season, while also confirming that another spin-off based on the hit series is in the works.

The Paramount Network drama, written by Taylor Sheridan, will wrap after the second half of its fifth season debuts in November.

The show remains a ratings hit in the US – the premiere from the first half of S5 earlier this year secured 17 million viewers in the US – but reports earlier this year suggested star Kevin Costner was looking for less commitment.

Paramount has now confirmed that the MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios series will end, with an untitled spin-off now in the works from Sheridan, joining 1883, 1923, 6666 and Bass Reeves. Reports have also suggested a show tracking the Dutton clan during the 1940s is in the works, which would fit Paramount’s increasing demand for franchises.

Few details of the new show have been shared, but it will be a “further expansion of the Yellowstone universe,” according to Paramount, which ordered the show straight-to series.

It will debut in December on Paramount Network and also be available on streamer Paramount+ unlike Yellowstone, which streams on NBCUniversal-owned Peacock following a licence deal struck in 2020.

Cast for the new spin-off will be announced shortly but US reports suggest Matthew McConaughey is in talks to star.

“Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King – and 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,” said Chris McCarthy, president & CEO at Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios.

Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family, led by John Dutton (Costner), who battles for control of the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the US. The show was co-created by Sheridan (Wind River) and John Linson, debuting in 2018.