Rip actor Cole Hauser is fueling hope among fans with new statements

Yellowstone will end after season 5, but that doesn’t automatically mean the Dutton family’s TV retirement. Exactly what the future of the Western epic with Kevin Costner looks like has been keeping industry experts and fans busy for months. Almost every week, those involved speak out to stoke or stifle hopes. This time it’s Cole Hauser’s turn, the portrayer of Dutton’s right-hand man Rip Wheeler.

Cole Hauser hints at new Yellowstone plans for Beth and Rip

Hauser’s Rip Wheeler is a fan favorite, which he owes not least to his series relationship with the brash Dutton daughter Beth, played by Kelly Reilly. It was unclear until now whether Beth and Rip would remain part of the Yellowstone universe after the finale of Season 5 Part 2. Rumors about difficult salary negotiations cast doubt on participation. In a recent interview with CountryLiving, Hauser hinted at a reunion:

I’m so focused on finishing Yellowstone the way it needs to right now – well, just the series itself.

And further:

We’ll see where this goes. But I know there’s a lot on the horizon for Taylor [Sheridan]s ideas for Kelly Reilly and me and some of the other actors. I’m excited to see how he’ll implement this creatively.

This is one of the clearest statements so far regarding the future of the ensemble (minus Kevin Costner). It was initially reported that Sheridan was planning a follow-up series without the original cast. Then one became Returning alongside potential new signing Matthew McConaughey (whose contract has not been signed). Those involved have so far kept a low profile. For example, Kelly Reilly explained at Collider in March:

There are discussions, you know. Don’t believe everything you read. This is just nonsense. But we’ll, you know, wait and see.

Only those in the Yellowstone inner circle know exactly what Hauser means when he talks about Sheridan’s ideas for the rest of the cast. It would be conceivable to participate in the planned follow-up series in 2024, which should continue the story of the Duttons after the end of the main series. Or a separate spin-off for Beth and Rip. In any case, a complete reboot without an original cast seems to be off the table.

Is Kevin Costner returning to Yellowstone?

On a Return of Kevin Costner Don’t wait after Yellowstone ends. His involvement in the upcoming second half of season 5 is already questionable, as Sheridan allegedly wants to write his family head John Dutton out of the series.

There is still no filming date for the final episodes of the western series, as the Hollywood Reporter notes. Before that you can see Costner in Horizon: An American Saga in the cinema. The epic starts on the big screen on August 22, 2024 and part 2 follows in November.

Podcast on the topic: Why Yellowstone is so enormously successful

In this episode of the Moviepilot podcast Streamgegewer we explain why the family drama could delight fans of GOT and Succession and what the crisis behind the scenes is all about.