A Guide to Yellowstone's (Many) Spinoffs, Prequels, and Sequels
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Fans of the Western drama Yellowstone just can't seem to get enough—and that's a very good thing, because even though its flagship show is ending this fall, the mega hit show's ever-expanding fictional universe shows no signs of slowing down. With multiple spinoffs, prequels, and a new sequel in the works, keeping up with what's next for the Duttons can feel like a drama in and of itself.
Here, we bring you all of the Yellowstone sequels, prequels, and spinoffs—those already available, in development, and rumored—so you'll never miss a moment of the ranching action.
Yellowstone
The show that started it all. First hitting airwaves in 2018 on Paramount Network, Yellowstone tells the story of the Dutton family and their Yellowstone Dutton Ranch—a modern day cattle ranching empire in Montana. Led by John Dutton (Kevin Costner) the family fights threats from without—land developers, criminals, and arguments with the local reservation—as well as from within—John's children, Jamie (Wes Bentley), Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes)—as they struggle over what the future of their land will look like.
In May 2023, it was announced that Yellowstone's fifth season will be its last. It has since been revealed that the final episodes will premiere in November 2024.
1883
The first spinoff/prequel in the expanded Dutton universe, 1883 starts out the story of the family before they founded the Montana ranch that would make their descendants famous. Starring real life husband and wife Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton, as well as Isabel May and LaMonica Garrett, the 10-episode show debuted on Paramount+ (the home of all the Yellowstone spinoffs) in 2021, and follows the travails of the earlier generation of Duttons as they set out from Fort Worth, Texas to claim land in the west.
While the show was confirmed for an additional slate of episodes in February 2022, no additional news about a second season has materialized since.
1923
After the success of 1883, it didn't come as much of a surprise when, in February 2022, Paramount+ announced that it would be producing another Dutton prequel with Sheridan. Originally announced as 1932, the title and time frame was later changed to 1923 to allow the show to address the fallout from WWI as well as Prohibition and the beginnings of the Great Depression.
The show stars Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton (the brother of 1883's James Dutton) and Helen Mirren as his wife, Cara Dutton, as they homestead their family's land, and help the next generation of Duttons. In February 2023, it was announced that the show will be returning for a second season, though filming was delayed by the industry strikes in Hollywood. It is expected to begin filming in late winter or early spring 2024.
1944
Along with the news that Yellowstone will come to a close in 2024, Paramount also announced that a new series is in the works, and judging by the title, it will be another prequel. While no additional details have been revealed yet, the working title 1944 would seem to suggest that the new series will take place in the WWII era. Given that timeline, it could potentially include the solution to a mystery that has swirled around the Yellowstone universe since the inception of the prequels: who is the father of Yellowstone's John Dutton?
The possibility of a 1940s-based prequel was first teased in October 2022, when Deadline reported that it, along with the 1960s, was under consideration as a possible next chapter for the Dutton clan.
2024
Originally announced as an unnamed sequel, the show now operating under the working title 2024 was first set to premiere in December 2023, following the November debut of Yellowstone's final episodes. Since the main show's final season has since been moved to November 2024, Deadline now says that 2024 will premiere following the end of Yellowstone—most likely in December 2024.
Beyond that, the information on the show remans scant. Previous announcements have only revealed that the show has been green-lit straight to series, and that it will air on Paramount Network and appear on Paramount+. "The cast will be announced shortly," said a statement in June 2022.
For a time, speculation abounded that Matthew McConaughey would replace Yellowstone star Kevin Costner on the flagship show, with Paramount Media Networks head Chris McCarthy confirming in early 2023 that a spin off starring McConaughey was in the works (see below for more info.) With the latest revelations, those rumors have sparked once again, and it is now unclear whether this newly announced sequel will, in fact, be the previously teased McConaughey vehicle or a separate series altogether.
In February 2024, Puck reported that Michelle Pfeiffer was also close to signing a contract for a lead role, likely on 2024, with Yellowstone cast members Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, and Luke Grimes also in talks.
Unnamed Matthew McConaughey spinoff
Though details remain unclear, in March 2023, Paramount Media Networks head Chris McCarthy confirmed that Matthew McConaughey will join the Yellowstone universe in a new spinoff. The news came after speculation originally surfaced in February that McConaughey could be replacing Kevin Costner on the flagship Yellowstone show amidst rumors that Costner was unhappy with the show's filming schedule and reluctant to return.
At the time, a Paramount Network spokesperson stated, "We have no news to report. 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."
McCarthy later revealed that the McConaughey show would go ahead, regardless of Yellowstone's future. However later reporting indicates that, despite the apparent confirmation of his casting, McConaughey is still "in talks" with the network, with Puck reporting in February 2024, per the star's agent, that the star will not sign on until he has seen a script.
6666
Unlike Yellowstone's other numerically-named spinoffs, which are anchored in different historical time periods, it appears that the long-gestating 6666 (pronounced "four sixes") will take place in the modern day, contemporaneous to Yellowstone. The series was first announced way back in February 2021, well before Yellowstone's fourth season, promising a setting "where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing."
Indeed, the titular ranch (the real-life version of which is now owned by Taylor Sheridan) appeared significantly in the fourth season of Yellowstone, with fan-favorite character Jimmy being sent there to work. This led many to speculate that Jimmy could serve as a major character on the spinoff, but thus far, no casting announcements have been forthcoming. Even Jefferson White, the actor who plays Jimmy, has admitted to being in the dark. "I wish I knew," White told Looper in January 2022. "I think you won't be surprised to hear that they don't tell me anything."
Despite the fact that a number of characters from Yellowstone are expected to be relocated to the 6666 ranch in the second half of season five, it now appears the the 6666 show itself may be on hold.
"That, for a number of reasons, needs a unique level of special care because this is a real place with real families working here," Sheridan told THR of the show in June 2023. "You have to respect the lineage. I’ve told [the studio] to be patient."
The news is something of a disappointment to fans, who were bolstered by a December 2022 report in The Atlantic that stated that 6666 was set to premiere some time in 2023.
Other possible spinoffs
Deadline reported in October 2022 that Sheridan is also giving consideration to two additional limited series to cover further periods of the Dutton family's history. Time frames reportedly being considered were the 1940s, as well as the 1960s—1944 was announced as a new prequel in November 2023.
In June 2023, Sheridan indicated to THR that his plans may go even beyond that.
"[The prequels are] time capsules of life in Montana as a microcosm of the world as a whole," he said. "They’re big spectacles, and the more that you move into the modern era, the bigger that spectacle becomes.... As long as I do my job well, and people don’t bore of the genre, I think there will be enough for many more [prequels] — three or four."
We will continue to update this story as more news becomes available.
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