‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Hinted the End of the Duttons is Near, But EP David Glasser Claims ‘There’s Still a Lot of Story to Tell’

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

• Yellowstone set ratings records with season 4.
• Despite the records, Yellowstone still has not been officially picked up for season 5.
• Creator Taylor Sheridan and EP David Glasser have shared somewhat conflicting updates on the future of the series.

Yellowstone ended season 4 as the most-watched drama on cable television. Taylor Sheridan’s western also just snagged its first major award nomination. But despite Yellowstone’s success, the future of the series remains very much in doubt. Sheridan has hinted that the end of the Duttons is near. While executive producer David Glasser claims “there’s still a lot of story to tell.”

‘Yellowstone’ set ratings records in season 4

Season 4 was the breakout season for Yellowstone, as it was the number one series across Broadcast, Cable, and Premium channels for both the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics. An average of 1.9 million adults ages 18-49 tuned in for the 10 episodes, along with 2.6 million in the 25-54 demo.

When the season finale aired in early January — simulcast on Paramount Network and CMT — the episode scored 10.3 million viewers. That’s a staggering 81 percent increase in total viewership compared to the season 3 finale.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see the Yellowstone audience continue to expand even as we come to the close of our 4th season. This expansion is a true testament to the original voices and universe that Taylor created,” David C. Glasser, executive producer and CEO of 101 Studios, said in a statement.

The cast snagged a SAG award nomination for best ensemble

Just days after millions watched the season 4 finale, Yellowstone received its very first major award nomination. The cast — which features Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, and Cole Hauser — received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

“There’s no bigger compliment to an actor than being recognized by their peers. Congratulations to our incredibly talented cast on this wonderful and well deserved nomination,” Sheridan said in a statement.

The ‘Yellowstone’ creator has hinted the Duttons end is near

With Yellowstone seemingly hitting its stride — plus the fact that the prequel, 1883, is a top performer for Paramount+ — one might think that Sheridan would keep the show going as long as possible. But, the Oscar nominee says he already has the ending in mind.

He told The New York Times that he’s “writing to that ending,” hinting that the end of the Duttons is near.

“There’s only so much hovering one can do before the story starts to lose its locomotion; you can’t put it in neutral just because it’s successful,” Sheridan explained. “It will go as many years as it takes for me to tell the story, but you’re not going to see nine seasons of it. No way.”

Executive producer David Glasser says ‘there’s still a lot of story to tell’

Sheridan may be ready to wrap things up in the next couple of seasons. But Glasser told Variety that Yellowstone is currently in its prime. And he believes there’s a lot more to the Duttons’ story.

“I think the show is still maturing, and there’s still a lot of story to tell. I know with Taylor, he’s got a lot to say and a lot to write,” Glasser said. “He’s deep into season 5 of Yellowstone now. He’s got some incredible ideas that he shared that I think audiences are going to be really excited about.”

‘Yellowstone’ season 5 is expected to air this fall

It’s not clear how many more seasons of Yellowstone fans will get. But, Glasser says that he expects filming for season 5 to begin in May. And, he believes that the new season will air “in the fall.”

According to Montana newspaper the Ravalli Republic, “Current plans call for pre-production work to begin in mid to late March, with filming to get underway May 15 and run through the middle of August.”

Seasons 1 through 3 of Yellowstone are available on Peacock. Season 4 is expected to hit the streamer this spring.