It’s been almost two years since the lives of the Duttons kept us glued to our screens, and they’re finally on their way back. On Monday 11 November, the rest of Yellowstone season 5 lands on M-Net, and it’s no exaggeration to say that fans are chomping at the bit to find out what happens next in this wildly popular Western drama. To tide you over, we’ve dug up some interesting facts about the show. Here we go.
Spin-offs
As die-hard fans surely know, Yellowstone already has two spinoff series, 1883 and 1923, both following John Dutton’s forebears. There was a third spinoff called 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, but it was later changed to Lawmen: Bass Reeves and no longer takes place in the Yellowstone universe. Executive produced by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, it stars David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves, one of the first Black Deputy US marshals. If you missed it on M-Net, check it out on DStv Stream.
A new Yellowstone spin-off is set to start next year. It’s titled The Madison and is said to star Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Fox. Other spinoffs in the works are 1944 and 6666. However, don’t get your hopes up too high. A lot of these shows are in their developmental stages, which means they could be scrapped or take a while to land.
Life imitates art
Ryan Bingham and Hassie Harrison, who play Walker and Laramie on the show, took their on-screen romance off-screen. The pair was married in October last year.
Hollywood connections
Cole Hauser’s (Rip Wheeler) great-grandfather was Harry Warner, one of the founders of the famous studio Warner Bros.
Cowboy creator
Taylor Sheridan is something of a cowboy himself. He is an avid horseback rider and owns Four Sixes Ranch through his investment group. Some of Yellowstone’s scenes have been filmed there, serving as a backdoor pilot for the future spin-off series, 6666. Sheridan also owns Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, where scenes for Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923 have been filmed.
All the drama!
There seems to be just as much drama behind the scenes as in front of the camera! Last year, Cole Hauser launched a coffee brand called Free Rein. The actor was slapped with a trademark infringement lawsuit by Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch, with the latter claiming that the coffee brand’s logo is too similar to their own. This comes on top of the well-recorded drama of Kevin Costner’s exit from the show.
Costner bows out
In case you missed it, Costner opted to leave the show despite its success and acclaim. One of the reasons was scheduling issues due to the infamous split of season 5, requiring separate filming periods. There have also been rumblings about salary negotiations and creative differences between Costner and Sheridan, but with Costner currently working on an epic Civil War saga consisting of four films, it’s kind of understandable that he needed clarity regarding schedules. However, this is hardly the first time this has happened. Shows like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Mad Men also had their final seasons split. The reasons for these splits vary. Sometimes it may be to avoid contractual obligations that would require an increase of actors’ salaries; sometimes it’s to prevent shows from the same studio competing at awards ceremonies. It can be frustrating for fans to have to wait so long, but it also means the excitement and anticipation of waiting for the show to start lasts a little longer.
The rest of Yellowstone season 5 is almost here! Watch it Express from the US on Mondays at 20:00 on M-Net channel 101, starting tonight: 11 November. Share your thoughts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok using #Yellowstone and #MNet101.