Taylor Sheridan has been working hard on creating his Yellowstone legacy. An idea was born into his mind, and he probably didn’t know just how much his fictional family, Dutton, would win over fans across the globe. Yellowstone blends several genres, with the primary being neo-Western, and it follows the Dutton family with John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) as the owner and boss of Montana’s biggest ranch, Yellowstone. Despite Costner’s departure in the final season, Yellowstone had massive viewership until its final moments. Though the show ended at the beginning of this year, its legacy lives on, mostly thanks to Sheridan’s other spin-off ideas and his undying enthusiasm to keep the universe going.
There have so far been two prequels to the Dutton family saga, 1883 and 1923, and both were incredibly popular and great additions to the lore. While 1923 also has season two slated for February 2025, the fate of four other upcoming spin-offs isn’t well known. With so many plans to create this entire universe, Sheridan must be terribly busy; however, no matter when his shows come out, folks will still be excited about watching them—some more than others, but excited nonetheless. The four expected spin-offs are varied: two directly relate to Yellowstone’s storyline, one is another prequel, and the fourth is a Yellowstone-adjacent story. This universe is vast and will continue to expand for as long as Taylor Sheridan wants, basically.
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‘1944’
Another Spin-off/Prequel That Follows ‘1923’ and ‘1883’
With 1923 currently following John Dutton III’s great-uncle Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) and his wife Cara (Helen Mirren) setting up the Yellowstone ranch in Montana and going through the Great Depression, it also shows his uncle, Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), on his adventures across Africa. Spencer meets the aristocratic Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer), and the two fall in love at first sight. Though it’s unclear what 1944 will be about, Spencer and Alexandra are often the best part of 1923, and following them would be a great way to continue the ongoing Dutton saga. There’s also John Dutton III’s supposed grandfather, Jack (Darren Mann), who’s shown in anticipation of getting married to Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph); when the two say their vows in private and Elizabeth announces her pregnancy to Jack, the opportunity opens for season 2 of 1923 to introduce their newborn as John Dutton III’s father, John Dutton Sr. (potentially).
Since not a lot is known about the series, apart from the fact that it’s on hold, as Taylor Sheridan himself said for The Hollywood Reporter, some hints can be picked up from its name. Of course, the biggest hint is the name itself: 1944. As both 1883 and 1923 took place during their titular years, 1944 will, too. Also, historically, this is the time of WWII, so some members of the Dutton family may either be enlisted or somehow connected to the US army that fought on the battlefields. 1944 is just a year before the war’s end, so the story may jump into an already established situation that will gradually be built up and explained through flashbacks. Despite a lack of specific information about 1944, expectations and excitement are pretty high; all that’s left to see is when Sheridan plans to resume the show’s creation, as well as how 1923 ends, as it’s certain to set up the storyline for the next prequel.
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‘6666’ (‘The Four Sixes’)
Yellowstone’s Indirect Continuation of Ranch Life
One of the best parts about Yellowstone is its faithful depiction of ranch life. Even if John Dutton was controversial for some choices on the ranch, he ran a tight ship, and his workers revered him as much as they were scared of him. The first mention of The Four Sixes Ranch, or 6666, is when Jimmy (Jefferson White) breaks a promise to John, and John sends him there to train to be a better ranch handler and horse rider. This is where Taylor Sheridan also gives his best cameo in his show, as the owner of the 6666. Jimmy’s life gets turned upside down—apparently for the better—at that ranch. While the show could follow only him, there will more than likely be other interesting characters introduced in the series, with Jimmy being the only direct connection to Yellowstone, potentially as a symbol.
And while 6666 was announced as a spin-off in 2021, and IMDb has an official page for it (with a wordy but indirect description), it’s unclear where the spin-off stands at that point. For fans of Yellowstone, the anticipation is great, but if there’s not much else to know, then the spin-off about Beth and Rip might make them just as happy. Fun fact: The 6666 is a real-life West Texas ranch that inspired Sheridan to write Yellowstone; he bought it in 2022, filmed 1883 there, and mentioned he wrote the shows to keep the ranch going. Knowing the love Sheridan has for the Four Sixes, this spinoff could be on hold because he wants to do it justice and depict the ranch in its correct and most impressive state.
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‘Yellowstone’: A Beth & Rip Spin-Off
The life and trials of Beth and Rip, ‘Yellowstone’s favorites
Yellowstone ends with the ranch being sold to Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and his Native American community, where they declare vehicles won’t be able to cross the territory and no buildings will emerge, protecting the land and keeping it intact. During the final season, Beth and Rip decide to move away, since Beth often proclaims her disdain for the ranch she grew up on. Though it was the place of many controversial events and decisions by the Duttons, it was also her home—though a dysfunctional one. The most logical order of events would be for Beth and Rip to move on and away from Yellowstone; though it was first mentioned they’d go to Texas, it seems they’ll stay in Montana, after all.
Kelly Reilly confirmed the spin-off happening via an Instagram comment, and she and Cole Hauser will more than likely be very busy this year. Apparently, this show is going to be the only Yellowstone spin-off that will have the word in its title, making it a direct continuation of the story. Other speculations include more familiar cast members appearing, potentially Luke Grimes as Kacey Dutton, Beth’s brother, and his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille). The most important part of this spin-off is for Beth and Rip to have a more peaceful life. Rip will continue as a ranch handler, and Beth will be free of her family’s memories in one place. Their story was initially intended to be Yellowstone’s sixth season, but concluding that story and opening another chapter seemed like a better choice. Though Beth may be disliked, she still has lots of fans who find her the best character in Yellowstone and are more than excited to watch a series about her and Rip only. This show will surely be very popular once it’s done.
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‘The Madison’
A ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off That Surprisingly Doesn’t Follow the Dutton Family
The most anticipated Yellowstone spin-off is the one that has the most information about it online; it’s also done filming and is set to premiere, apparently very soon. The Madison was first titled 2024, and word on the street was that Matthew McConaughey was going to lead it. Later, there was no other mention of McConaughey, but instead, it was revealed that Michelle Pfeiffer is heading the story and that it won’t be connected with the Dutton family—at least not by blood. The official synopsis of The Madison on IMDb says: “A New York family’s life unravels after a tragedy as they process grief while vacationing in rural Montana, exploring human connection amidst profound sorrow.”
Pfeiffer portrays Stacy Clyburn, but the rest of the family the story follows are named McIntosh. The rest of the cast includes Patrick J. Adams as Russell McIntosh, Beau Garrett as Abigail Reese, and Matthew Fox as the character only known as Paul; the number of episodes he appears in is also unknown. Considering the reports that Fort Worth’s downtown area was closed down for the filming of The Madison in late December 2024, the show is potentially still in production and can be expected around the summer or autumn of 2025. There’s definitely a way this show will be connected to Yellowstone somehow, and the surprise element and the high excitement and anticipation make The Madison a smash hit in waiting.