For a year, rumors have circulated about a new Yellowstone spin-off, and ever since, speculation has run rampant. In November 2023, an announcement from Paramount revealed the premiere date for the final episodes of Yellowstone and also confirmed that the new spin-off show will appear following the flagship show’s conclusion. Along with the news that the second half of season five of Yellowstone will hit screens in November 2024, Paramount revealed that two new shows set in the Dutton universe are in the works: a prequel, 1944, and the apparent spin-off, 2024.
Here’s what we know so far about the series:
Matthew McConaughey could star
Since long before the show had a working title, Matthew McConaughey was rumored to be eyeing a lead role on the series. In a March 2023 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Media Networks head Chris McCarthy confirmed that McConaughey would be joining the Yellowstone universe, though subsequent reporting has suggested he hasn’t signed any contracts yet. However, as the months have dragged on with no official casting announcements, fans have begun to wonder whether the star will indeed be taking on a Dutton mantle after all.
According to a January 2024 rumor, McConaughey, who still has not penned an official deal for the show, is supposedly growing frustrated with the long contract negotiations process and may even be reconsidering his participation. An unnamed insider supposedly told Life & Style, “No deal has ever taken this long for Matthew.” They explained that the actor, who is reportedly asking for $2.5 million per episode, has been unable to accept other projects that could potentially conflict with the show’s filming and “doesn’t have clarity on when exactly this job would even start.”
Show creator Taylor Sheridan is also supposedly a factor. The writer, who was said to have butted heads with former Yellowstone headliner Kevin Costner, has “a reputation for being a jerk with a ‘God complex,'” the insider stated, adding, “Matthew doesn’t particularly like behind-the-scenes drama.”
In February 2024, Puck’s Matthew Belloni reported that McConaughey “is still the top choice to star, but reports of his commitment to the project are overstated.” Belloni added that, per the star’s agent, he has refused to sign on to the project until he can see a script, which has not been provided yet.
Originally, when speculation of McConaughey’s involvement in the Yellowstone-verse started, it was suggested that he could be coming onto the flagship show as a replacement for Kevin Costner, who, rumor has it, had been unsatisfied with the show’s shooting schedule. Paramount’s McCarthy revealed that the spin-off would be moving forward regardless of whether Costner returned as Yellowstone’s patriarch John Dutton for the remainder of the show’s fifth, and now final, season—a question that remains up in the air, as the show still hasn’t begun filming its final episodes.
“We have no news to report,” Paramount stated in February 2023 when the rumors about McConaughey first surfaced. “Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”
In May 2023, Paramount officially announced the news of the untitled Yellowstone sequel, as well as that the main show would end after the second half of season five. David Glasser, the CEO of 101 studios, said in a statement, “The Dutton story continues, picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale. We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world.” McConaughey’s casting was not confirmed.