Deadline reported in May 2023 that McConaughey “is expected to be joined by handful of original Yellowstone cast members.” Exactly which stars those might be has been a source of interest for fans ever since, and it appears that there is a possibility that the roster could include three fan-favorites from the original show: Cole Hauser, who plays the show’s brooding ranch hand Rip, Kelly Reilly, who stars as the sole Dutton daughter Beth, and Luke Grimes, who plays the youngest Dutton son, Kayce.
According to a February 2024 report by Puck, the show wasn’t originally designed to include characters from the main show, but after it was decided to end Yellowstone’s flagship, the idea was reworked to allow some of the actors to move on to the spin-off. However, in true Yellowstone fashion, there’s reportedly been some behind the scenes friction over the issue.
Per Puck, the stars have asked for a higher payday to return to the spin-off (they will all, apparently, also be paid for the now-cancelled season six of Yellowstone as part of previous contact stipulations) with claims suggesting that the performers are seeking as much as $1.5 million per episode. Initially, Puck reported that it was planned for negotiations to be completed in mid-February, which would determine if any of the actors will return for the spin-off, however, in a March update, the publication said that negotiations were still ongoing.
In a 2023 interview with THR, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan confirmed that the show will have “Yellowstone” in the title (2024 was only announced as a working title) he said, “My idea of a spinoff is the same as my idea of a prequel — read into that what you will.” The publication reports that Sheridan nodded when asked if that meant that the new series would be a stand-alone story. “There are lots of places where a way of life that existed for 150 years is slamming against a new way of life, but the challenges are completely different. There are a lot of places you can tell this story.” However, Sheridan also admitted that he had only worked out “the broadest strokes” of the spin-off at the time.
As for McConaughey himself, Sheridan commented, “He seems like a natural fit. We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching Yellowstone and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’”
Michelle Pfeiffer is rumored to join the cast
Along with the other casting news, Puck also reported in February 2024 that Michelle Pfeiffer is in talks to take on the role of the female lead in the series, though no other information on the character was revealed. By March 2024, the publication reported that both Pfeiffer and McConaughey remain favorites for the series, though neither were officially onboard.
McConaughey has shared his thoughts on John Dutton
In June 2023, the actor opened up for the first time with his thoughts about the original series and its main character, John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner. “One way you could explain Yellowstone and Costner’s role is what will men do to protect land and family in a world that is trying to encroach?” McConaughey reportedly said on the Lex Fridman Podcast. “I admire that simplicity of right and wrong.”
He added, “It’s a little bit of, ‘If the law ain’t handling this, I am.’ And then it is, ‘The law’s not going to handle it, therefore I am.’ Then it’s, ‘I’m handling this. The law? Talk to them when you get to them. I’m handling this.'”