For more than a year, speculation has run rampant about a new Yellowstone spin-off. In November 2023, along with the news that the second half of season five of Yellowstone will hit screens in November 2024, Paramount revealed that two new shows set in the Dutton universe are in the works: a prequel, 1944, and the apparent spin-off, 2024.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Initially, the spinoff was dubbed a sequel. This led to fervent speculation among fans that the original cast members of Yellowstone would make a triumphant return. However, Taylor Sheridan dropped subtle hints that we might be in for something entirely different. Sheridan suggested the spinoff could introduce fresh faces and characters to the audience.
And that’s not all! Sheridan also alluded to the possibility of the spinoff being set in a location other than the iconic Yellowstone Ranch. During an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan said…
[McConaughey] seems like a natural fit. We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching Yellowstone and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’
My idea of a spinoff is the same as my idea of a prequel — read into that what you will.
There are lots of places where a way of life that existed for 150 years is slamming against a new way of life, but the challenges are completely different. There are a lot of places you can tell this story.
However, the latest news from Paramount may indicate the 2024 has not only changed its title, but also switched things up with a very different cast. Despite long-percolating rumors that Matthew McConaughey would be joining the Dutton-verse in 2024 (more on that below), an August story by TVLine has revealed that a Yellowstone spin-off currently titled Madison is in the works to follow Yellowstone‘s final episodes. The network officially announced Madison a few days later, along with the news that Michelle Pfeiffer would star. Among other cast members said to be close to signing on for the show are Kurt Russell and Suits‘s Patrick J. Adams—McConaughey’s name is notably absent.
According to a January 2024 report, McConaughey was supposedly growing frustrated with the long contract negotiations process and was even reconsidering his participation. An unnamed insider supposedly told Life & Style, “No deal has ever taken this long for Matthew.” They explained that the actor, who was reportedly asking for $2.5 million per episode, had been unable to accept other projects that could potentially conflict with the show’s filming and “doesn’t have clarity on when exactly this job would even start.”
Show creator Taylor Sheridan is also supposedly a factor. The writer, who was said to have butted heads with former Yellowstone headliner Kevin Costner, has “a reputation for being a jerk with a ‘God complex,'” the insider stated, adding, “Matthew doesn’t particularly like behind-the-scenes drama.”
In February 2024, Puck‘s Matthew Belloni reported that McConaughey “is still the top choice to star, but reports of his commitment to the project are overstated.” Belloni added that, per the star’s agent, he has refused to sign on to the project until he can see a script, which had not been provided yet. As of May 2024, that issues still didn’t appear to have been resolved, as another Puck story confirmed that the actor still need to be “satisfied with the creative direction before signing on.”
When news of Madison, the apparent new version of 2024, broke in August 2024, McConaughey was not among the names rumored to be in casting contention.
