It seems that the high drama we see unfolding within the Dutton family on Yellowstone is only closely rivalled by what goes on during the production of the Paramount+ show itself. The Taylor Sheridan crown jewel, which has spawned a franchise of spin-offs and prequels to give the MCU a run for its money, has been embroiled in rumours of on-set drama for nearly a year now.
As fans continue to wait with bated breath for the second part of season five to arrive, the news finally came that this will be the last instalment of the show, with a new contemporary offshoot currently titled 2024 already in the works.
Those final episodes of Yellowstone have not yet been filmed after a contractual dispute with star Kevin Costner and then the SAG-AFTRA strike this summer. But we now know they are slated to arrive in November 2024.
While the details of what we can expect from 2024 are being kept closely guarded over at Paramount HQ, it will consist of a new cast and location, Variety reported, with the scope for some character crossover from the original. So depending on how the season-five finale pans out, we might not be saying goodbye to all of the Yellowstone cast just yet.
But as we gear up to bid farewell to the Dutton family and their sprawling cattle ranch in Montana, we run down what each of the cast members are planning next and what we can see them in fresh off their starring turns in one of the most popular shows on television.
Kevin Costner
One thing is for sure: the Dutton patriarch played by Kevin Costner will not be among the character crossovers from Yellowstone into 2024, given that the star’s desire to pursue other projects is said to have been one of the chief forks in the road during the production, Variety reported.
It has been reported that Costner wanted to exit the show to focus on his two-part Western film Horizon: An American Saga, which he has co-written, produced and directed, thus drastically shrinking his availability to film Yellowstone scenes.
Costner is set to star in the Civil War epic alongside Sienna Miller, Avatar’s Sam Worthington and Stranger Things villain Jamie Campbell-Bower. The first part, entitled Chapter 1, is slated for release June 28, 2024, with Chapter 2 coming on August 16, 2024.
Kelly Reilly
Beyond her role as Beth in Yellowstone, Kelly Reilly currently has three other projects in production. Among them is the upcoming Robert Zemeckis film Here, which stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Paul Bettany alongside Reilly. The film will be set in one single room, following the many people who live in it over years and years, using de-aging technology on the actors.
Kelly Reilly and Paramount fans have even more to look forward to, because she’s also in production alongside Succession’s Brian Cox for the coming-of-age film Little Wing on the streaming service.
But wait! There’s more! Kelly has also been cast in an intriguing upcoming film about a disgraced White House chef who’s turned his culinary skills to whipping up death row meals. She stars in Last Meals alongside Samuel L Jackson and Narcos’ Boyd Holbrook.
Cole Hauser
The main thing coming up for Cole Hauser is the second part of Yellowstone – so could he be one of the actors who will return for the new show 2024? We’ll have to watch this space. Away from the world of acting, the Rip Wheeler star has announced a new project as a spokesperson for Coors this year.
Kelsey Asbille
Once Kelsey Asbille wraps up her scenes as Monica Long-Dutton, we might be able to see her in a completely different role shortly after, as she’s set to star in the horror thriller Don’t Move.
From the producer of last year’s sleeper hit horror Barbarian, the film follows “a seasoned killer who injects a grieving woman with a paralytic agent. She must run, fight and hide before her body completely shuts down,” Deadline reported. Chilling stuff. Asbille stars alongside Finn Wittrock of American Horror Story and The Big Short fame.
Wes Bentley
Wes Bentley has said he is ready to say goodbye to his role as Jamie Dutton, with the finale now on the horizon. Bentley told the Hollywood Reporter how the tortured attorney-general’s inner turmoil has been something he’s struggled to shake off during the show’s five season run. “I will miss it, but I will also celebrate it being over,” he said.
When asked what he thinks could be next for him, he said he’s also prepared to step away from the world of TV and return to making films. “Committing to a series is hard because often you are giving up a lot of power in your life. But it’s also amazing because you get to explore the depths of a character.
“I miss movies, I will say that. I miss 90 minutes where there’s no prequel, no sequel; everything has to happen in 90 minutes. I miss creating that. So I hope for some good films in my future.”
Yet he hasn’t ruled out a return to the Yellowstone-verse, with Jamie popping up somewhere else. “Taylor has something in his mind about where this story goes and if Jamie fits in, I definitely would be interested in being a part of that.
“But if it’s the end of the road for Jamie, I’m ready to wrap him up and celebrate the attempts at accomplishing this character. We’ll have to see what’s coming down the road for Jamie.”
Luke Grimes
Fresh off his role in the Fifty Shades of Grey films, Luke Grimes made waves on Yellowstone as Kayce Dutton. Much like Bentley and Hauser, the main upcoming project for Grimes is the final instalment of the Paramount show.
We’ll just have to wait and see how everything irons out and maybe he’ll pop up elsewhere in the Sheridanverse.
However, away from acting, Grimes has started to focus on his other passion of singing and released the song Hold On this year, which he has since teased he will be performing at California’s Country Music Festival Stagecoach in 2024.
Gil Birmingham
Gil Birmingham, who plays Chief Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone, first worked with Taylor Sheridan on his 2017 neo-Western crime film Wind River, which stars Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner. It was the third film in Sheridan’s trilogy of modern-day American frontier tales – after Sicario and Hell or High Water.
And Birmingham is now returning to that original role, as his next project is the sequel entitled Wind River: Rising. He stars alongside Martin Sensmeier – who Yellowstone fans may recognise as Martin from season two.
The plot for the upcoming film follows Sensmeier’s character from the first film, Chip Hanson, as he is enlisted by the FBI to help solve a series of ritualistic murders on the reservation he calls home.