No More Duttons! One Upcoming ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Will Break a Major Franchise Trend

The Yellowstone franchise is getting bigger–and in some unexpected ways. Taylor Sheridan’s hit neo-Western television universe follows the complicated Dutton family, ranchers who will do anything to protect their land, throughout multiple generations, charting their rise and their fall with over a century of storytelling. The flagship series kicked off the franchise with a terrific five-season run, which came to an end late last year. However, Yellowstone‘s series finale is far from the final word in Sheridan’s ongoing story.

The popular television franchise is set to continue with multiple Yellowstone spinoffs in the pipeline. As 1923 wraps up its second and final season, a series set shortly thereafter, 1944 aims to bridge the gap between the prequel and Yellowstone. Meanwhile, a spinoff following Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton’s continuing adventures is also in the works, looking to incorporate certain abandoned storylines from Yellowstone‘s unrealized sixth season. While these spinoffs will all follow the Duttons, another series will take the franchise in a completely different direction. Though still in early development, 6666 could change the Yellowstone franchise forever.

Taylor Sheridan with Yellowstone poster and Samcro from Sons of Anarchy on the background

Related

Yellowstone’s Creator Secretly Took a Shot at Sons of Anarchy With a Clever Moment Hidden in Plain Sight

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has a secret connection to Sons of Anarchy–and he may have taken a shot at the series in Season 3.

One Upcoming Yellowstone Spinoff Goes Beyond the Dutton Family Saga

6666 Will Follow the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas

The image depicts the Four Sixes Ranch in Yellowstone.

6666 is a spinoff that will follow the exploits of the Four Sixes Ranch, an affiliate of John Dutton’s Yellowstone Ranch that appears on numerous occasions throughout the original series. Located in King County, Texas, the Four Sixes Ranch is a real-life historic property that breeds horses, rears cattle and trains cowboys. In Yellowstone, the ranch is where boys are sent to become men, as seen in Jimmy Hurdstrom’s storyline, wherein he is sent down to Texas to finally be trained as a real-life cowboy. The ranch hands at the Four Sixes aren’t easy on Jimmy, deriding and picking on him during his early stay. However, the rough conditions and animosity fuel Jimmy’s spirit and finally help him break free from his childlike ways. Presumably, the upcoming spinoff will follow more characters like Jimmy as they learn to become cowboys at the Four Sixes Ranch. However, this potential logline also marks a stark departure from the typical focus of a Yellowstone series.

Yellowstone Season 5 Cast & Character Guide
Character Played By
John Dutton III Kevin Costner
Beth Dutton Kelly Reilly
Rip Wheeler Cole Hauser
Kayce Dutton Luke Grimes
Monica Long-Dutton Kelsey Asbille
Jamie Dutton Wes Bentley
Thomas Rainwater Gil Birmingham
Sarah Atwood Dawn Olivieri

read more

6666 is most likely moving beyond the Dutton family to tell new stories with all-new characters. Currently, no members of the Dutton family are working at the Four Sixes Ranch, suggesting that the upcoming spinoff won’t focus on the franchise’s central family at all. Rather, the series will most likely follow a mostly new cast of characters with no affiliation to the Duttons. 6666 would still have room for some familiar characters, such as Travis Wheatley, one of Yellowstone‘s most controversial characters, who is one of the leading employees of the Four Sixes. Nevertheless, the show will mostly likely center around “new blood,” featuring a fresh cast of characters who aren’t Duttons or close friends of the family. This is extremely unusual given the franchise’s typical focus on a single family. All of its past series (Yellowstone1883, and 1923) followed different generations of the Dutton family. Yet, with most of the Duttons dead or moving on to other things, it makes sense for the franchise to introduce new characters outside of its central family. This could be the beginning of a new era for the Yellowstone franchise, in which the Duttons aren’t necessarily the main characters of any new series to join the television universe.

John Dutton (Kevin Costner) takes in a sunset on his ranch in Yellowstone.

Related

7 Years Ago, Taylor Sheridan Secretly Spoiled the Best Thing About Yellowstone (& Fans Completely Missed It)

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan told us what his series would be about from the very beginning–we just didn’t recognize it until now.

Is Moving Away From the Duttons a Good Thing for Yellowstone?

The Dutton Family’s Story May Be Coming to an End

For years, the Yellowstone television universe has focused solely on the complicated Dutton family as they struggled to make their way in the world over multiple centuries and generations. Taylor Sheridan has managed to tell a unique cross-generational story that begins in the pioneer days and carries on to modern times. Moving away from the Duttons after focusing on them for so long may decenter the franchise. It is always helpful for an expansive shared universe like Yellowstone to have a group of core characters that center the expansive story. Without such characters, viewers may lose interest in new Yellowstone spinoffs, causing the franchise to slowly die. However, if Taylor Sheridan and his team can introduce a band of new characters as compelling as the Duttons in shows like 6666, there is no reason that Yellowstone should remain tied to the same family. Given Sheridan’s propensity for writing interesting and complex characters, there is no reason to believe that he isn’t capable of conjuring up a new cast on par with the Duttons, thereby bringing Yellowstone into a new era that could see the franchise continue to expand for many years to come.

This isn’t to say that Yellowstone is finished with the Duttons. Currently, development is underway for an upcoming spinoff following Rip and Beth after the events of Yellowstone‘s series finale. It is unclear whether this spinoff is devised as a limited series, similar to 1883 or 1923, or if Sheridan intends to continue the story in a multiseason format. By design, none of Yellowstone‘s spinoffs have gone beyond two seasons. However, with the flagship series finished, the franchise will need a new show to take its place–and the Rip and Beth spinoff is the most likely candidate. If so, the Dutton family saga will continue for some time, keeping the franchise forever tied to its central family, even if not every series focuses solely on them.

Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston look at each other in The Bodyguard

Related

26 Years Before Yellowstone, Kevin Costner Starred Alongside One of the Greatest Musicians Ever in This Box Office Hit

Starring an unlikely duo, The Bodyguard is a gripping thriller with unforgettable performances, action, and one of the greatest soundtracks ever.

What to Expect From 6666

There Are Very Few Details About the Four Sixes Spinoff

Jimmy and Emily hanging out near a barn on the 6666 Ranch in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount

Shows like 6666 offer a chance for Taylor Sheridan to write some new characters outside of the Dutton family, expanding the Yellowstone franchise to new and exciting places. So far, there have been very few details revealed about the upcoming spinoff, with even its cast shrouded in mystery. However, by the end of Yellowstone, several familiar characters were shown to be employed at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. Jefferson White’s character, Jimmy Hurdstrom, could make an excellent lead character in 6666, continuing his journey as he grows into one of the finest cowboys the ranch has ever seen. His wife, Emily (played by Kathryn Kelly), may also appear in the series, having worked on the Four Sixes Ranch for even longer than Jimmy. The series also has room for several ranch hands from Yellowstone to join the cast after the Dutton Ranch was sold. Characters like Lloyd, Ryan, and Teeter could all be featured as prominent characters in the new series, tying it to the events of Yellowstone.

Related articles

‘Landman’ Season 2: Release Date, Cast, Filming Schedule and Everything to Know

Landman, super-producer Taylor Sheridan’s oil industry drama on Paramount+, wrapped up its first season in January 2025. And in March, we struck a reservoir of good news: Landman is coming…

Yellowstone Season 6: How Beth And Rip Can Save The Show

Hollywood has been broken and tied like a prize steer a few times in recent years. COVID and union strikes caused interruptions to productions across the globe,…

‘The Madison’ Is Coming! Everything We Know About Taylor Sheridan’s Next Yellowstone Spinoff (March Update)

With Yellowstone ending its five-season run in 2024, Taylor Sheridan’s hit television universe is at a turning point. With the flagship series gone, Sheridan has begun development on multiple…

‘Landman’ Drops Big News About Season 2 – Fans Will Be Thrilled!

Landman fans, rejoice! Paramount+ has officially renewed the blockbuster series for a second season. Landman premiered in November of 2024, and it was an immediate ratings smash. The first…

Kevin Costner Once Named The Best Actor He’d Ever Worked With

Acting is a very strange profession. Unlike so many other jobs in the entertainment industry, it’s a vocation that has always been and will always be vague…

Every Terrible Thing That’s Happened To Elizabeth Strafford In 1923

Sadly, many awful things have happened to Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph) in 1923. When Elizabeth moves to the Yellowstone Ranch in 1923 season 1, it’s a rude…