Yellowstone Last-Ever Episodes Get Paramount Premiere Date; Two More Spinoffs Enter Development

The wait for the last-ever episodes of Yellowstone has been excruciating, but we now know when the final episodes are set to air.

Paramount Network confirmed Thursday that the second half of Yellowstone Season 5 is set to premiere in November 2024.

While the episodes were initially set to premiere this summer, Kevin Costner's availability, as well as the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, took the series out of contention for a 2023 return date.

Yellowstone tells the sprawling story of the Dutton family, and the series doesn't exactly have a fast turnaround time when it comes to production.

Amid alleged behind-the-scenes drama, Paramount confirmed earlier this year that the red-hot series would end with these final episodes of the season.

Before the series ending announcement, six episodes remained of Yellowstone Season 5, but there's a good chance that will change now that the last-minute decision to end the show has been made.

Chris McCarthy, president and CEO Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, in a statement in May:

"Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits -- from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life."

Added David Glasser, who serves as the CEO of 101, "The Dutton story continues, picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale.

"We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world."

Knowing that the series is ending -- and when -- gives us something to work towards.

Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 8 left us with plenty of questions that need to be answered, including what becomes of the Dutton family.

Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family, which controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States.

Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect - the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders - an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and vicious business rivalries.

In addition to Costner, the series also stars Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham.

Thursday's announcement also confirmed that the Yellowstone franchise will be expanding again.

The previously planned sequel with Matthew McConaughey now has a title: 2024.

Additionally, another prequel has landed a formal pickup at Paramount+.

It will be titled 1944.

"Within five years, we grew Yellowstone from a hit U.S. cable show with five million viewers into a global hit franchise with over 100 million fans around the world and multiple extensions -- and we're just getting started," McCarthy said Thursday

McCarthy also talked about the success of previous series within the Yellowstone universe, 1883 and 1923, before announcing two more spinoffs, 1944 and 2024.

The first spinoff was 1883, starring Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, along with breakout star Isobel May.

That series found the Duttons making their first trip west and all of the challenges and pitfalls that came with such arduous travel.

Viewers were transfixed as May's character, Elsa Dutton, grew from a child to a woman in what can only be described as the grand adventure of a lifetime and all of the devastating consequences that come with it.

Sheridan's limited series are just that, though, and we parted ways with the Duttons before they ever made their homestead.

Powerhouse actors Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as Jacob and Cara Dutton, who had raised Jacob's brother's children as his own.

Like other shows in the universe, 1923 is heavy on family drama, adventure, romance, and everything that stands between the Duttons and their land.

Everything We Know About 1923 Season 2

Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer also star as Spencer Dutton and his fiance and then wife Alexandra, bringing to life an epic romance akin to Rose and Jack of the megahit Titanic, through the African bush and across an ocean, only to be torn apart.

Fans thought that we'd get the second and final season of 1923 rather quickly afterward and most certainly believed we'd get the second half of Yellowstone Season 5 by summer 2023, but life had other things in store.

This announcement will give fans plenty to chew on in the meantime.

Of the new series, McCarthy said they "will take audiences on a thrilling, new and unexpected journey with the complex and compelling storytelling that has become a hallmark of the franchise and has helped turn it into a worldwide cultural phenomenon – thanks to the creative mastermind of Taylor Sheridan."

As if we had any doubt.

"The global success of Yellowstone continues to thrill and excite us at 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch. This has been such an exhilarating ride with our partners at MTV Entertainment Studios, and we can't wait to bring 1944 and 2024 to audiences everywhere," Glasser added.

Their statements don't indicate whether 2024 will be another full-length series with an opportunity for additional seasons or if it will be a standalone.

We sure hope it's the former and not the latter. We are hardly done with the present-day Duttons.

Naturally, there will be questions about which Yellowstone stars will migrate to 2024 because it's hard to imagine many of the characters we know and love getting satisfying arcs with just a few episodes left.

There are so many unfinished storylines that pull the Duttons and viewers in many different directions.

What we do know is that what is to come will be no less than what we've had so far -- masterful storytelling that digs into the hearts and minds of all involved.

It's unbelievable still to believe that such a highly-rated series is ending its run, but maybe Paramount believes the increased exposure of the series from CBS will have people seeking out new Yellowstone stories.

What are your thoughts on the end date and series orders for 1944 and 2024?

Hit the comments.

Remember, you can watch Yellowstone online right here via TV Fanatic.