Yellowstone Season 5 Release Date, Showrunner, Development Details And More

Performer turned writer Taylor Sheridan has seen massive success in television with the Paramount Network series "Yellowstone." The show, which follows a family of powerful Montana ranchers, has remained a hit throughout its run. And that should come as no surprise since the series is full of non-stop drama, with various powers conspiring to get their hands on the Yellowstone ranch and the powerful Duttons doing everything they can to keep their land — even if that means murder.

So what can we expect in Season 5? Well, the fifth season of "Yellowstone" has been split in two, so we've already gotten a few answers. The first half of the season set the table for things to become truly intense when Season 5 Part II makes its big return. But when will "Yellowstone" ride back onto the big screen, which actors are turning to the ranch, and will this be the final hurrah for the Duttons? Read on for everything we know so far about "Yellowstone" Season 5.

The first part of "Yellowstone" Season 5 made its two-hour premiere in November 2022 and ran for a total of eight episodes. The midseason finale aired in January 2023, and the last we saw of the Duttons, it felt like the show was gearing up for big, bloody business. But when will all this simmering drama finally boil over?

While the second half of "Yellowstone" Season 5 was originally slated for summer 2023, that didn't exactly pan out. In February 2023, it was reported that showrunner Taylor Sheridan and the Paramount Network were going to end "Yellowstone" due to drama involving Kevin Costner. Reportedly, the actor wanted to spend more time working on his own project — the massive Western movie "Horizon." As a result, he wanted to spend far less time working on "Yellowstone."

This kicked off quite the drama that's still playing out. It was officially announced in May 2023 that "Yellowstone" would end after Season 5 Part 2. However, in August 2024, both Puck and Deadline reported that Paramount Network was actually considering a Season 6. So it looks possible that the show may continue after all. Of course, we have to finish Season 5 before we can figure out the future, so when will the Duttons return?  The second half of "Yellowstone" Season 5 will hit the Paramount Network on November 10, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

"Yellowstone" Season 5 Part I took a more leisurely pace than previous seasons, slowly setting the table for what's to come. We watched as Governor John Dutton crushed Market Equities' plans for a new hotel, Jamie Dutton announced impeachment proceedings against his father, and Beth Dutton began planning to buy her adopted brother a one-way ticket to the Train Station. And as it turns out, Jamie has similar plans for his sister.

Tragically, Season 5 kicked off with Monica Dutton losing her unborn son as husband Kayce struggled with the ramifications of his Season 4 vision. But despite the darkness, "Yellowstone" Season 5 Part I spent the majority of its time reveling in the cowboy way of life, with John overseeing the round-up and branding of all his cattle. Unfortunately, those salad days were brought to an end by an outbreak of brucellosis, forcing Rip Wheeler to take half the herd — and half the Yellowstone ranch hands — to Texas.

Meanwhile, Thomas Rainwater found his position of chairman being threatened by those unhappy with the way he's been running the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock. On top of all that, we got a quick peek at Jimmy Hurdstrom's life on the 6666 Ranch, where he seems to be living the perfect existence with vet tech Emily. 

It'll be interesting to see how all these interconnected stories play out in Season 5 Part II, especially with Market Equities' attack dog Sarah Atwood on the loose. We also suspect some big characters are going to bite the dust, as showrunner Taylor Sheridan told Entertainment Tonight, "If you look at everyone as a chess piece, in Season 5 it is impossible to keep playing the game without taking pieces off the board."

We expect that all the familiar faces will come back for Season 5 Part II. Well ... almost all of them. Unfortunately, one of the most important people in the series won't be returning.

It's been widely reported that Kevin Costner wasn't happy with his shooting schedule — largely because of the decision to break Season 5 into two chunks, thus taking more time to film — and that he allegedly tried to reduce the number of his filming days in Part II down to just a week. Costner was working on his own Western, "Horizon," and his directing schedule was reportedly conflicting with his "Yellowstone" schedule.

Speaking about the behind-the-scenes drama during his divorce hearing from then-wife Christine Baumgartner, Costner said that Paramount wouldn't negotiate with him and lowballed him when it came to his pay for Season 5 Part II. The cowboy star even said he might sue the studio, alleging they owed him millions. In the aftermath of all this, Puck reported that Taylor Sheridan decided to write the last episodes of the series without John Dutton.

However, for a moment there, it seemed like Costner was considering a return, telling Entertainment Tonight in April 2024, "I'd like to be able to do it." Unfortunately, that wasn't to be. In June 2024, Costner released an Instagram video saying, "I just realized that I'm not going to be able to continue ['Yellowstone'] Season 5 B or into the future. It was something that really changed me, I loved it, and I know you loved it, and I just wanted to let you know I won't be returning, and I love the relationship we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies."

If you know anything about "Yellowstone," then you know who's calling the shots. The series is the brainchild of Taylor Sheridan, who's basically the king of TV at this point, with spinoff series like "1883" and "1923" and non-"Yellowstone" programs like "Tulsa King" and "Mayor of Kingstown."

So yeah, Sheridan is a man who likes to keep busy. That definitely applies to what happens behind the scenes on "Yellowstone." With exception of Season 2, he's single-handedly penned every "Yellowstone" script, and that applies to Season 5. And with the Dutton children gearing up for war, we can also expect the next half of the show to really drive home what Sheridan says is the overarching theme of the series.

Speaking to The Atlantic, Sheridan explained, "This was one of the fundamental things I wanted to look at: When you have a kingdom, and you are the king, is there such a thing as morality? Because anyone trying to take your kingdom and remove you as king is going to replace your morality for theirs. So does morality factor into the defense of the kingdom? ... And at the end of the day, that's really what the show is about."

For a very long time, we thought "Yellowstone" was ending after Season 5. And this wasn't guesswork on our part. Paramount Network officially announced the series was coming to close after the departure of Kevin Costner. However, "Yellowstone" fans were still excited about spinoffs such as "1923" Season 2 and "The Madison," an all-new series set in modern times. The plot follows a powerful New York woman who moves her family to Montana after losing her husband and brother-in-law in a plane crash. The spinoff stars Michelle Pfeiffer ("Batman Returns") in the lead, alongside Kurt Russell ("Tombstone"), Patrick J. Adams ("Suits"), and Matthew Fox ("Lost").

So while it wasn't OG Dutton drama, it was something. But then everything changed in August 2024. That's when the news first broke that a proper "Yellowstone" Season 6 was actually being discussed. So who would lead the sixth season into the future without John Dutton around? Well — spoiler alert for who's not getting killed in Season 6 — it seems that both Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser are in negotiations to return as Beth and Rip. It looks like the newlywed couple will be taking control of the Yellowstone ranch, which also sort of implies that Jamie might not be making it out of Season 5. Of course, nothing has been officially confirmed just yet, but the two actors are definitely in talks, and for the first time in a long time, the future of "Yellowstone" seems quite bright indeed.

If you're looking for the first half of Season 5, you can currently stream the show in a few places. First and foremost, it's available on Peacock, which has long been home to the "Yellowstone" series. (And if you're new to the show, every season is available on the streamer, so go ahead and catch up on all the Dutton drama.)

If you don't have Peacock, you can also find Season 5 Part II on fuboTV and DIRECTV. If you'd rather spend a few bucks and just own the first batch of episodes, Season 5 Part I is available on Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Video, and Apple iTunes.

You can also visit the Dutton family's past on Paramount+, with the two prequel series "1883" and "1923."