Paramount has now cast Suits star Patrick J. Adams, as well as Elle Chapman and Beau Garrett, in the Yellowstone spinoff, The Madison. Michelle Pfeiffer was previously announced as the lead actor for the spinoff, with the acclaimed Marvel and Batman Returns star playing the family matriarch and widower, Stacy Clyburn, who moves her family to Montana. Pfeiffer is also an executive producer om the spinoff series alongside creator Taylor Sheridan.
Variety has revealed that Canadian-American actor Patrick J. Adams, best known for his role as Mike Ross in Suits, will star as Russell McIntosh, “a young investment banker who has followed the life path set before him from the start.” Elle Chapman (A Man Called Otto), meanwhile, makes her television debut as Paige McIntosh, “a somewhat self-centered woman who indulges in a luxurious New York lifestyle provided by her parents and investment banker husband.” Lastly, Beau Garrett (The Good Doctor, Netflix’s Firefly Lane) plays Abigail Reese, a divorced mother of two and “resilient and sardonic New Yorker.”
The official logline for the Yellowstone spinoff series describes the story as:
“A heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.”
Last November, Paramount announced two new shows that will continue to build off the success of their flagship western series, Yellowstone. The network teased a new prequel series, 1944, and a spinoff, 2024, rumored to star Mathew McConaughey. However, that series seems to have evolved into The Madison, and it is currently unclear if McConaughey is still attached to the project or eyeing any of the Yellowstone spinoffs. Paramount has yet to announce if The Madison will get a network release or premiere on Paramount+.
What’s Next for the Yellowstone Universe
Yellowstone returns this winter with part two of its fifth and final season. The mid-season finale aired back in January 2023, but the show’s production was delayed due to behind-the-scenes drama between lead actor, Kevin Costner, show creator Taylor Sheridan, and Paramount. Conflicts around scheduling with Costner’s other western film, Horizon, character arcs, and the SAG-AFTRA strikes sadly postponed production for the series, with various interviews and comments from all parties hinting at ongoing hostilities. In the end, Costner announced he would not be returning, and the series would conclude without him.
1883 was the first prequel series to debut, and it was an instant hit, with an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The franchise’s second prequel series, 1923, received mixed reviews from audiences, earning an 80% critics score and 56% audience score. The prequel stars Academy Award nominee, Harrison Ford, and Academy Award winner Helen Mirren as Jacob and Cara Dutton. It was renewed for its second and final season before the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Season 2 of 1923 continues the story of the Dutton family in Montana, post-World War I, as the Duttons battle tragedy and grief as old feuds, landowners, and debt collectors close in on the Yellowstone ranch. Production began in June 2024 but the Season 2 premiere date has not been set.
Another series titled 6666 was green-lit with the intention of being released last year. Named for the four sixes ranch that briefly appeared in Yellowstone, there is still little detail about the plot, but the series will most likely touch on the ranch’s centuries-old history and founding. It seems audiences can’t get enough of the neo-Western genre or the Dutton family.
While fans await the Yellowstone finale, and leaving the prequels behind, The Madison will take place after the events of Yellowstone, and it will be interesting to see how the metropolitan New Yorkers fare in the wild Madison valley.