After four and a half seasons of melodramatic Western drama, the mega-hit TV show "Yellowstone" will kick off the end of its fifth and final season in November.
But it will be without the breakout hit Western's star Kevin Costner in his iconic role as John Dutton. Costner announced Thursday he won't be in the final episodes of "Yellowstone."
But rabid fans of the franchise, including those in Wyoming who can relate to the modern Western drama, don’t have to panic just yet. There are several “Yellowstone” spinoffs already in the works.
Paramount has announced that “Yellowstone” will wrap its run with the second half of Season 5, which is set to premiere at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. The series has been on hiatus since the last episode of the first half of the fifth season aired Jan. 1, 2023.
These final six episodes following the Dutton Family in a climatic struggle against their adversaries in Paradise Valley, Montana, will be the series’ swan song and without Costner.
But the end of “Yellowstone” won't be the end of the franchise. Several successful spinoffs have already been released and more have been announced.
Alright In Montana
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has successfully helmed two spinoffs from the main series, “1883” and “1923,” both prequels chronicling the Dutton family legacy long before the events of the main show.
More shows have been teased or greenlit, taking the franchises to new places with new stories.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Matthew McConaughey has been in talks to star in a “Yellowstone” spinoff with the working title of “2024” for Paramount's streaming service, Paramount+.
Nothing else is known about the show other than it will feature existing “Yellowstone” characters and new characters and locations in the same universe.
Sheridan also hinted at another “Yellowstone” prequel series called “1944.” The show would be helmed by Sheridan and “Yellowstone” co-creator and showrunner John Linson, and may have already been approved by Paramount. No additional information is available.
Additionally, Paramount gave the go-ahead for a second season of “1923” in February 2023. The series, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, follows the Dutton family struggling through the privations of the Great Depression on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in Montana.
Texas Hold 'em
Another “Yellowstone” spinoff announced by Sheridan is “Yellowstone: 6666,” which would continue the story of troubled cowboy Jimmy Hurdstrom, played by Jefferson White.
The noticeable difference between “Yellowstone” and “6666” is the setting.
While “Yellowstone” takes place on the fictional Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, “6666” would take place and be filmed on the historic Four Sixes Ranch in King County, Texas.
Paramount released this official plot synopsis for “Yellowstone: 6666.”
"Founded when Comanches still ruled West Texas, no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 has inspired a new scripted series 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.
“The 6666 is synonymous with the merciless endeavor to raise the finest horses and livestock in the world, and ultimately where world-class cowboys are born and made."
“Yellowstone: 6666” was announced in February 2021. In 2022, Paramount declared that the series would run on the Paramount Network rather than just on Paramount+.
Despite these developments, “Yellowstone: 6666” is now considered "on hold." There hasn't been any news on the series since 2022, and Paramount hasn't announced a release date for the series.
The hit series "Yellowstone" follows the Duttons, a legacy Montana ranch family. (Paramount+ via YouTube) 
Kevin Costner has played the central character of the Paramount+ hit "Yellowstone" for four and a half seasons. He won't be in the last six episodes of the series' final half of season five. (Paramount+ via YouTube)
At The Cost Of Costner
One key figure who won't return to the “Yellowstone” empire is Costner's John Dutton.
On Thursday, the actor and executive producer of the series announced via Instagram that his character won't be included in the second half of the fifth season.
"I want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that's required, and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I'm not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future,” Costner said. “It was something that really changed me.
“I loved it. And I know you loved it. And I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning, and I love the relationship we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies."
Despite being the main character and an executive producer, Costner has had conflict with the series for a while. The clashes started when shooting for “Yellowstone's” fifth season conflicted with Coster's filming schedule for “Horizon: An American Saga.”
Coster is the star, director and co-writer of “Horizon: An American Saga,” a four-film series depicting the exploration and settlement of the American West after the Civil War. The first two films of the series are set for their U.S. releases June 28 and Aug. 16, respectively.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
