It's Official, Yellowstone Is Not Over Yet

Though the show ended in 2024, Yellowstone officially isn't over yet thanks to the franchise of television shows it spawned. For years, Yellowstone and its many spinoff shows have dominated the Western genre on television. They're easily the most popular Western shows out there, and Taylor Sheridan's shows on Paramount+ regularly set viewership records for the streaming service.

For all the success Yellowstone and the franchise it spawned enjoyed, however, the show had to end eventually. Kevin Costner departed from the role of John Dutton III after season 5, part 1, and Yellowstone ended with season 5, part 2 in 2024. Many fans considered the show's finale underwhelming, and for a while, it seemed like the entire franchise was slowing down as a result.

After Yellowstone ended, Taylor Sheridan signed a new contract with NBC Universal, leaving Paramount and the majority of Yellowstone shows behind. The Yellowstone spinoff shows 1883 and 1923 came to an end, the planned spinoff 6666 never came to fruition, and Sheridan turned his attention to non-Yellowstone shows like Landman and The Madison. For a while, Yellowstone's franchise seemed to be ending alongside the show.

Now, however, it's safe to say that Yellowstone officially isn't over yet. Two new Yellowstone spinoff shows have debuted since the ending of Yellowstone season 5, part 2: Marshals and Dutton Ranch. Both of these spinoffs seemed to be at a disadvantage: Marshals has only Kayce Dutton and his family to rely on, while Dutton Ranch had only Beth and Rip to draw in fans of the original show. Despite those challenges, these new spinoff shows have ensured the future of Yellowstone is safe.

Yellowstone's Sequel Shows Prove The Franchise Has A Bright Future

Both Dutton Ranch and Marshals are off to tremendous starts. Marshals premiered only a few months ago, on March 1, and Marshals season 2 has already been renewed. That was likely a very easy decision to make, as Marshals was the biggest network premiere of the entire year for CBS. Similarly, Dutton Ranch broke viewership records for Paramount+ with 12.9 million views in the week it premiered (via Deadline).

While Dutton Ranch hasn't officially been renewed for a second season yet — it is still in the process of airing its first season — these viewership numbers basically speak for themselves. Paramount+ would be foolish not to renew it, and with Marshals already set to return for a second season, both of the modern-day Yellowstone spinoffs are doing exceptionally well.

Clearly, even without Kevin Costner, most of the cast of Yellowstone, or even the original series' name to propel it to success, the Yellowstone franchise is still thriving. In spite of all the setbacks, behind-the-scenes drama and changes, and having to wrestle with releasing on both broadcast and streaming, Yellowstone is taking it all in stride. This franchise clearly has legs that can carry it far beyond the original series.

The Dutton Family's History Can Create Several More Spinoffs

Dutton Ranch and Marshals also aren't the only reason to be hopeful about the future of Yellowstone. Those modern-day stories clearly still have a wide audience to tap into, but the past of the Yellowstone franchise is also ripe for new shows. 1883 and 1923 may be over, but there's still a century of the Dutton family dynasty's history that Taylor Sheridan could explore, and there's even a chance that he will.

For example, Sheridan previously had plans for another chapter of the Dutton family's history titled 1944. As the title suggests, it would have taken place about 21 years after 1923 and focused on (presumably) Spencer Dutton's son, John II. While there hasn't been much news about 1944 in quite some time, there's still a very good possibility that it's in some stage of development. Sheridan is still with Paramount until 2028, which leaves ample time to start 1944, given his speedy writing style.

Even if 1944 has been indefinitely delayed, there's still plenty of room for Yellowstone to expand into the past. John Dutton II was alive for nearly a century, and though the original show had flashbacks to his life, there are nearly endless ways to flesh out his story. Paramount could even commission a prequel series following a younger John Dutton III, played by Josh Lucas.

All this is to say that while the original Yellowstone may have ended, this franchise has plenty of life left in it. It's not currently clear how the franchise will fare once Taylor Sheridan leaves for NBC Universal in 2029, but for at least two more years, there's no sign of slowing down. Western fans all over can rest easy knowing that Yellowstone is far from done.