The Discovery Channel has reportedly ordered another spinoff of Gold Rush — Gold Rush: Winter’s Fortune. The Hollywood Reporter announced the new production on Thursday, explaining that it will examine the “high-stakes gamble of the gold-mining offseason for the first time ever.” The show will follow Tony Beets, Rick Ness, Dave Turin, Fred Lewis and Dustin Hurt.
Gold Rush: Winter’s Fortune joins a long list of Gold Rush spinoffs exploring different avenues of the gold mining trade and following some of the fan-favorite personalities from throughout the franchise. In this case, Winter’s Fortune will reportedly take place as one mining season ends and track the offseason activities of the miners until the next season starts. It will depict some hard times with the ground freezing over, and the miners prospecting, purchasing land, seeking permits and preparing for their next big season.
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The timing is perfect for this spinoff as gold prices have reportedly skyrocketed in the recent economic turmoil, including the COVID-19 pandemic. That means that both new and old prospectors are grabbing up all the land they can and miners are rushing to find new deposits, while even the manufacturers of mining equipment are scrambling to keep up with demand. Winter’s Fortune will find Beets, Ness, Turin, Lewis and Hurt preparing for an exceptional season, not just any old spring.
The winter they face here is especially harsh too — the show reportedly depicts artic conditions, mountains of snow and subfreezing temperatures all conspiring to slow or stop the miners’ operations. Such delays can put them at risk of losing everything they’ve worked for so far.
Fans know the players already, but THR has given us a hint about where this spinoff finds each of them. As Winter’s Fortune begins, Ness is reportedly trying to convince his crew that his recent investments are solid ones, and that he understands where the industry is going. Meanwhile, Beets is hurting with half of his operations down and lots of catching up to do, but he has plans to make up for lost time — a major gamble on a machinery overhaul.
The season will pick up with Turin struggling to find the right place to set up his mining operations this year, and planning to start earlier than all the competition. Lewis is coming out of a huge rookie season, and he’s out to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Finally, Hurt is assessing the damage from recent landslides as this new series begins.
Gold Rush: Winter’s Fortune premieres on Friday, July 30 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery. It will be streaming on Discovery+ as well.
