The current fifth season of “Yellowstone” will be the final season of the Paramount Network drama starring Kevin Costner. Paramount announced on Friday that the Western series will end with Season 5, the second half of which will premiere in November.
But “Yellowstone” fans will be relieved to know Paramount has given a straight-to-series order to a sequel series from creator Taylor Sheridan and production companies MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios.
The news comes one day after Entertainment Tonight reported Costner would not be returning to “Yellowstone” after Season 5.
There’s no official word about the sequel’s plot, its cast, or even its title, but The Hollywood Reporter says the new series will debut on Paramount Network and stream on Paramount+ starting in December, if all goes according to plan.
Deadline adds that Matthew McConaughey is in talks to lead the new show and other “Yellowstone” cast members are expected to join the ranks. Both outlets report the new show will have “Yellowstone” in its title, unlike the spinoffs “1883″ and “1923″ and the upcoming offshoot “Bass Reeves.”
In February, Deadline reported Paramount was planning an end to “Yellowstone” and a new series with McConaughey, adding that Costner had limited his filming time to 50 days for the first part of “Yellowstone” Season 5 and only a week for the second part.
Marty Singer, the actor’s attorney, denied those scheduling demands. “The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of Season 5 of ‘Yellowstone’ is an absolute lie,” Singer told Puck at the time. “It’s ridiculous — and anyone suggesting it shouldn’t be believed for one second.”
“Yellowstone” has been a sensational hit for Paramount Network. Season 5′s premiere last November attracted nearly 16 million live-plus-three-day viewers, ranking the neo-Western series as the most-watched show across television in 2022.