Fans of the hit Western Yellowstone have patiently waited for months to watch the final batch of season 5 episodes. Although the wait is not over, there is some good news, and after being halted while the SAG-AFTRA strike raged on, a release date is in sight.
It has now been revealed that episode nine and onwards of season 5 will air in late 2024.
Season 5 of the show, starring Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley, among others, aired episode eight in January this year, but due to the strike, nothing has landed since.
A release window has now been set for the final episodes to stream from November 2024.
Strikes involving the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) have been prevalent this year, with ongoing discussions and picket lines taking place as creatives fight for better rights such as greater protection against artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property, as well as residuals from projects.
It was announced in May that the fifth season of Yellowstone was in fact, the last, but fans didn’t quite realize it would take so long to get the resolution and closure that comes with completing a series. Season 5 launched in November 2022.
For some, the news seemed abrupt and followed weeks of reports that leading man Costner and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan couldn’t agree on scheduling and pay to complete the second half of the fifth season.
However, there is some good news and light at the end of the tunnel.
Paramount, the home of Yellowstone, has given the greenlight to not one but two spinoffs from the show. 1944 and 2024 are now both in the works, under working titles.
Little is known yet about the new shows, but more details are sure to come out over the coming months.
MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios will also produce the new shows.
As viewers will know, Paramount has created a Yellowstone universe, which not only contains the flagship show but also a prequel called 1883.
The prequel, set in the 19th century, followed the Dutton family as they set out westward across the Great Plains to end up in the Montana ranch that is the main focus of Yellowstone, with the show covering all the trials and tribulations that came with them building their life.
This was followed by a prequel 1923, which saw the Dutton family face new challenges in the early 20th century, including the rise of Western expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression.
Deadline also reported that actor Matthew McConaughey was in talks to star in the new series, however Newsweek was unable to verify if this was true with no further evidence to suggest he was.
Costner is to end his ties with the Dutton family after season 5, but it has been teased that some of the Yellowstone cast will appear in the other shows in the franchise, but it is unclear who and in what capacity.
Newsweek has contacted Paramount +, Matthew McCoaughey’s publicist and Kevin Costoner’s team via email for comment.