Kevin Costner and Matthew McConaughey are both jockeying for position to be the overlord of Yellowstone, but there’s growing talk Michelle Pfeiffer will become the franchise’s undisputed cowboy queen — leaving the guys playing second fiddle.
“Michelle is primed for big, big things and the mood is the franchise will go a different route and embrace girl power and move with the times,” an insider exclusively tells Life & Style.
According to reports, McConaughey, 54, has yet to sign a deal to star in a Yellowstone spinoff, and sources say bosses are still dragging their feet over his $2.5 million-per-episode fee.
Meanwhile, Costner, 69, clashed with creator Taylor Sheridan over scheduling, but a source says, “He’s now willing to let bygones be bygones and appear in some capacity in the second half of Yellowstone‘s fifth and final season for proper closure of his character.”
The source continues, “Matthew’s stalling could really cost him, and he still hasn’t inked a deal. Kevin’s return isn’t set in stone either — and he’s only going to get a cameo at best, thanks to his hard-line tactics, so the coast is clear for Michelle to take over!
“She’s excited and ready to go,” the insider adds. “Word is, she’s very close to a deal and she really wants to do this, unlike her indecisive male counterparts. Her casting would be a refreshing welcome!”
Pfeiffer, 66, was one of the hottest leading ladies in the ’80s and ’90s — as well as an unconventionally smart and sassy sex symbol. Although the Catwoman star has had recent parts in Ant-Man and Maleficent sequels, Yellowstone would be a major coup.
“This will be Michelle’s gain, Kevin and Matthew’s loss,” adds the insider. “It’s the juicy role that has eluded her for years!”
Prepare to bid farewell to one generation of Duttons… and welcome two more.
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The second half of Yellowstone’s fifth season, which will conclude the family saga that started it all, is now set to premiere in November 2024, EW has confirmed. And for those already mourning the departure of the Kevin Costner–led series, Paramount has also revealed plans for two more spinoffs to expand the franchise.
A present-day story, with the working title 2024, will pick up after the events of Yellowstone have concluded, while a prequel series, 1944, will follow in the footsteps of previous spinoffs by jumping into the past to recount the dramatic lives of an earlier Dutton family generation.
Yellowstone already boasts two spinoffs: 1883, which stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and 1923, featuring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren.
“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,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime & MTV Entertainment Studios. “On the heels of 1883 and 1923’s success, our new planned spinoffs, 1944 and 2024, 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.”
