Yellowstone Spinoff Plans With Matthew McConaughey Moving Forward With or Without Kevin Costner

Yellowstone has arguably become one of the biggest franchises on television, enthralling viewers with its decades-spanning drama week after week. Earlier this year, reports indicated that the flagship part of the franchise could be undergoing a new evolution, following rumors of Yellowstone star Kevin Costner exiting the series. In particular, there were rumblings of a new extension of the franchise led by Matthew McConaughey, which would potentially also star other established cast members from Yellowstone. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Media Networks exec Chris McCarthy confirms as much, with the report indicating that the McConaughey-led series will move forward regardless of however Costner's situation shakes out.

Will Yellowstone end?

According to previous reports, the decision to end Yellowstone is being considered due to an issue with shooting schedules involving Kevin Costner, who stars in the current series as John Dutton. Reportedly, Costner only wanted to spend a week shooting the second batch of Season 5 episodes, as opposed to the 50-65 days that he has in the past. 

"We have no news to report," the statement from the Paramount Network spokesperson reads. "Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that's the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we'd love to partner."

What is Yellowstone about?

The series follows the Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in Montana, the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, commonly called "the Yellowstone". The plot revolves around family drama at the ranch and the bordering Broken Rock Indian Reservation, Yellowstone National Park, and developers.

In addition to Costner, the series stars Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Danny Huston, Gil Birmingham, Forrie J. Smith, Denim Richards, Ian Bohen, Finn Little, Ryan Bingham, Wendy Moniz, Jennifer Landon, Kathryn Kelly, and Moses Brings Plenty. Across its tenure, the series has spun out multiple spinoffs — 1883, 1923, and the forthcoming Bass Reeves and 6666 series. Sheridan has also continued to partner with Paramount on the hit series Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, and the forthcoming Lioness.

What do you think of this major Yellowstone news? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!