‘Yellowstone’ Canceled: Season 5 Will Be Its Last, Report Says

Yellowstone is ending after months of turmoil behind the scenes. If The New York Post‘s latest writeup is to be believed, the Paramount Network drama’s troubled road to finishing Season 5 has ultimately led to the show’s end. After the rest of Season 5 is produced and airs on TV, Yellowstone is done, multiple sources told the outlet. This follows Deadline’s February report that said the show’s days were numbered in favor of a Matthew-McConaughey-led successor.

“Hopefully Kevin (Costner) will return for the remaining episodes, if everyone works together, but it looks like Yellowstone will end after this season,” an unnamed NY Post production source claimed.

As multiple reports have noted, Yellowstone’s trouble stems from a disagreement between Costner and the show’s creative mastermind Taylor Sheridan. Costner was allegedly not happy with his shooting schedule on the show, and Sheridan is said to have become tired of the legendary actor holding up production on series. Despite the first half of Season 5 airing on Paramount Network between November 2022 and January 2023, the second half has yet to be filmed. In fact, it might not have even been written yet due to the lack of clarity surrounding Costner’s involvement going forward.

Sheridan is the co-creator of Yellowstone alongside John Lindon and is credited as either writing or co-writing every single episode of the show. (He also directed the entirety of Season 1, as well as two episodes of Season 4.) The writer/director is also the architect of Paramount’s expanding universe of Yellowstone shows, which includes Paramount+ shows 1883, 1923 and the upcoming Bass Reeves. Costner is the leading actor in Yellowstone, playing the Dutton family patriarch and ranch owner John Dutton.

Despite the rift between the pair, the NY Post’s production source hoped that they would at least come to enough common ground to film Season 5B. “We’re hoping it will be worked out,” they said. “It’s too big a show for things not to be worked out.”

The report also noted that members of the Yellowstone cast might not be clued into what the plan is going forward. “Only Taylor truly knows what is going on,” said a “source who knows Sheridan.” 

Yellowstone fans will now have to wait for an official statement from Paramount on the show’s future. Matthew McConaughey is confirmed to be joining the Yellowstone universe, and media speculation has slated his project will being the successor to the flagship Yellowstone series. However, multiple elements of the project are unclear, such as a premise, setting, title and if any current Yellowstone cast members will be involved. In addition to Costner, the Yellowstone cast list includes Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley and Kelsey Asbille.