A Guide to Every Yellowstone Prequel and Spinoff Series, from 1923 to The Madison
Stay saddled up, Yellowstone fans!
In May 2023, Paramount announced that the beloved neo-Western series starring Kevin Costner is coming to an end after its fifth season — however, its corresponding streamer shared exciting details regarding the Dutton family’s future.
The remaining episodes of the first half of Yellowstone season 5 became available to stream on Peacock on May 25, while the second half will air in November 2024 after being pushed back one year due to the writers’ strike.
While this will mark the end of the original series, Yellowstone will live on thanks to the various spinoffs of the Taylor Sheridan-created franchise. Among the spinoffs already released include 1883 and 1923, while four new series have been ordered: a prequel called 1944, a Michelle Pfeiffer-led series called The Madison, a Billy Bob Thornton-led series called Landman and a Matthew McConaughey-led spinoff titled 2024.
The latter is slated to debut on Paramount Network and Paramount+ (unlike the original Yellowstone series, which is available to stream exclusively on Peacock).
“Within five years, we grew Yellowstone from a hit U.S. cable show with 5 million viewers into a global hit franchise with over 100 million fans around the world and multiple extensions — and we’re just getting started,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Read on to learn about every Yellowstone prequel and sequel to come as well as all the series that have already been released.
1883
Telling the origin story of the Dutton family featured on Yellowstone, 1883 follows their 19th-century ancestors James and Margaret Dutton as they embark on their wild journey west from Texas to Montana through the Great Plains. Lawless lands, bloody gunfights, danger, and dust (lots of it) are promised in each of its 10 episodes.
A star-studded cast was corralled with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as leads. They are joined by multi-award winners Sam Elliot and Eric Nelsen, in addition to Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Audie Rick, Emma Malouff, Dawn Olivieri, Marc Rissmann, Anna Fiamora, James Landry Hébert, Alex Fine, Gratiela Brancusi, Nichole Galicia, Stephanie Nur, Amanda Jaros, Noah Le Gros, and Martin Sensmeier.
Keep a close eye out in the second episode because Tom Hanks makes a cameo, playing a general named George Meade in a flashback sequence.
1883, available to stream exclusively on Paramount+, was not renewed for a second season.
“We wanted to make a ten-hour movie that ended, and that’s what we did,” Sheridan told Deadline in February 2022.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is an anthology series that follows iconic lawmen who have impacted history, according to Variety.
The first season followed Bass Reeves. “Known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, he worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing over 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded,” the show’s logline stated.
The show stars Emmy nominee David Oyelowo in the title role of Bass Reeves. The actor previously voiced his excitement to be a part of the series and work alongside Sheridan in an interview with Deadline, saying, “The reality is that he is one of the best storytellers on the planet.”
He added, “My whole thing is that we’ve got to tell a story worthy of that history, but worthy of a global audience and he’s one of those rare guys, and I’ve worked with a few of them, and he’s one of those rare ones who can really do that. It’s a big deal.”
Oyelowo was joined by actor Dennis Quaid, who plays Deputy U.S. Marshall Sherrill Lynn.
“Riding horses, shooting guns. You know, making mayhem at 4 in the morning,” Quaid joked while speaking with Fox News Digital about joining the Yellowstone universe.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves premiered in 2023 and is available to stream on Paramount+.
1923
Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford star in 1923 (originally titled 1932), which premiered on Dec. 8, 2022, on Paramount Network and its streamer in a special simulcast event. They play husband and wife, matriarch Cara Dutton and patriarch Jacob Dutton, respectively.
The series chronologically follows the events that unfolded in 1883 (hence its title) — which saw the Duttons make their dangerous trek to Montana. It follows the couple, along with their children, as they run the family farm in the aforementioned state while navigating the challenges of the early 20th century, which include pandemics, a historic drought, the end of Prohibition and the Great Depression.
Ford told reporters in December 2022 that the formation of the project is what ultimately got him hooked on the role. “The writing and the ambition of the piece that’s evident from the scope and scale of it, [drew me to the role,]” he explained. “And the precision of his language and dialogue, and the character.”
The series, which also stars Marley Shelton, Jennifer Ehle, Sebastian Roché and Darren Mann, was confirmed for a second season, which will include eight episodes, Deadline reported. 1923 is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+.
6666
Pronounced “Four Sixes,” 6666 details the raw and authentic perspective of a real cattle ranch — this time in West Texas, rather than Montana like depicted in Yellowstone.
“The Sixes is one of the oldest ranches in Texas, one of the oldest ranches in the country… One of the oldest functioning cattle ranches, horse training, breeding facilities in the country,” Yellowstone star Jefferson White told Entertainment Tonight. “I’m really excited for people to see the real, gritty, not glamorous world of real-life cattle ranching, now in modern times.”
A 6666 premiere date remains up in the air, in addition to whether or not the series will be exclusive to Paramount’s streaming service. The cast has also yet to be revealed.
A Matthew McConaughey-led spinoff
Matthew McConaughey was reportedly in talks to star in a Yellowstone spinoff in February 2023.
At the time, ViacomCBS President Chris McCarthy left details in the air regarding the McConaughey rumors. However, a spokesperson for Paramount said “Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”
As of March 2023, President McCarthy confirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the rumored McConaughey-led spinoff of the popular Paramount+ series is moving forward.
In November 2023, the Paramount Network announced that the spinoff series is tentatively titled 2024. The working title implies the sequel will be set in the present and air after Yellowstone wraps.
“It’s expected to continue exploring the Dutton family dynasty with new characters and locations, as well as some existing characters,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
1944
Another prequel, 1944, was announced in November 2023 and is said to follow in the footsteps of 1883 and 1923. However, McCarthy said details on the series “are scarce at the moment,” including the title which is “working.”
He was sure to confirm, though, that 1944 “will take audiences on a thrilling, new and unexpected journey with the complex and compelling storytelling that has become a hallmark of the franchise.”
The Madison
The Madison was confirmed in August 2024.
Michelle Pfeiffer will executive produce and star in The Madison, which will be a “heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.”
“Michelle Pfeiffer is a remarkable talent who imbues every role with emotional depth, authenticity and grace,” Chris McCarthy, the co-CEO of Paramount Global and President/CEO of Showtime & MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement.
“She is the perfect anchor to the newest chapter of the Yellowstone universe, The Madison, from the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan,” he added.
Paramount later confirmed Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, Beau Garrett and Amiah Miller will be joining the cast of The Madison.
Landman
Sheridan’s Landman is based on the 11-part podcast Boomtown, which centers around the 21st-century oil boom in West Texas.
The series stars Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Demi Moore.
“It’s not actually cowboy-oriented at all,” Hamm told PEOPLE in March 2024. “It’s more in the world of oil. It’s based on oil speculators and what they called landmen, which are the guys that run around and try to acquire mineral rights and land rights in the hope of speculating and finding oil.”
Landman premieres on Nov. 17 on Paramount+.
Source: People
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