Yellowstone is set to air its final episode this week, and barring a surprise renewal for season six, fans are beginning to look to the next show to join Taylor Sheridan’s ranching universe. In August, TVLine revealed that there was a Yellowstone spinoff, tentatively titled The Madison, in the works. Shortly thereafter, casting announcements helped to flesh out a clearer idea of what Yellowstone‘s successor will look like.
Since then, the pace of news has calmed a bit, but in a new interview, Yellowstone executive producer Christina Voros, who directed four of the six episodes in the show’s most recent season, did confirm that much of the flagship series’s team has moved on to The Madison. Speaking to THR about rumors of Sheridan’s ever-expanding catalogue of shows, Voros said, “The team that I’ve been working with has moved from Yellowstone into The Madison, so I know that new show is happening and Taylor is excited about writing it.”
The news ignited some mixed feelings among fans. On the one hand, the new spinoff gaining the expertise of the team behind the beloved original show surely bodes well for the quality of the new series. On the other, the fact that many of the behind-the-scenes pros from Yellowstone have a new gig would seem to be another nail in the coffin for the Dutton drama, which has been rumored to be in contention for a sixth season pick-up.
Even the stars themselves seem to be in the dark about what’s ahead for the larger Sheridan-verse. When asked by TVLine in October about The Madison‘s impressive cast, Patrick J. Adams, merely responded, “Yes—and I have no idea what I’m allowed to say about that show, so I’m going to say absolutely nothing except ‘yes’ to what you just said.”
Here’s all the latest information on The Madison:
How does The Madison connect to Yellowstone?
Despite the fact that the series has been billed as a spinoff, so far, very little information has been revealed as to its connection to the main Yellowstone storyline. Ahead of Yellowstone‘s apparent series finale, none of the character from The Madison have appeared on screen, nor has the spinoff ranch been mentioned. That may yet change when Yellowstone‘s final episode debuts.
In an interview with Variety following Yellowstone‘s November season premiere, Voros said of the new show, “It’s such a different story. The common ground is the landscape. We are in Montana, but it is seen through a completely different lens, so it feels like another facet of this cut stone that has been polished. There are parallels in the scope of landscape and a human being’s place in that space, but it’s coming at it from a completely different point of view.”
What’s The Madison about?
The logline for the show explains that the series will be “a heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.” While the show has consistently been billed as having a connection to Yellowstone, thus far it’s not clear exactly how the two series will intersect.
Initially it was reported that The Madison (which has also operated under the title Madison) would “follow wealthy matriarch Stacy Clyburn and her family as they leave New York City and head to Montana in the wake of her husband and brother-in-law’s tragic deaths in a plane crash.” It’s not currently clear whether those details remain accurate.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Fox will star
The series announced its star, early on, as none other than Michelle Pfeiffer. “Michelle Pfeiffer is a remarkable talent who imbues every role with emotional depth, authenticity and grace,” said Chris McCarthy, the Co-CEO and President of Paramount Global and CEO of Showtime & MTV Entertainment Studios, which will co-produce the series. “She is the perfect anchor to the newest chapter of the Yellowstone universe, Madison, from the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan.” Pfeiffer will also executive produce.
In late August, it was revealed that Matthew Fox, known for his work on series like Lost and Party of Five, will play opposite Pfeiffer as Paul, “a self-reliant bachelor who loves the outdoors.”
Fox joins former Suits star Patrick J. Adams, as well as Elle Chapman, Beau Garrett and Amiah Miller.
Adams will play Russell McIntosh, “a young investment banker who has followed the life path set before him from the start,” according to a release announcing the casting. Chapman will play his wife, Paige, “a somewhat self-centered woman who indulges in a luxurious New York lifestyle provided by her parents and investment banker husband,” while Garrett will portray Abigail Reese, “a resilient and sardonic New Yorker, who is a recently divorced mother of two.” Miller will play Abigail’s daughter.
Per Deadline, Chapman and Garrett’s characters will be the daughters of Pfeiffer’s character.
When news of the show first broke, Kurt Russell was also said to be close to signing a deal for the show, though no additional announcements have been made about his involvement since.
Is Matthew McConaughey involved?
Perhaps most notably for fans of creator Taylor Sheridan’s universe of Yellowstone shows, Variety reports that The Madison is indeed the spinoff previously operating under the working title 2024. Pfeiffer was previously expected to star in said series alongside Matthew McConaughey, who has been rumored to join the Dutton universe for over a year.
2024, which was announced last fall along with an additional prequel series 1944 (following on the heels of Sheridan’s Dutton-focused 1883 and 1923) has been the source of speculation since McConaughey was originally rumored to be joining the Yellowstone as far back as February 2023. However, despite the persistent word that the star was in talks for the project, no casting confirmations for him ever materialized.
News that The Madison is indeed the renamed 2024 would seem to indicate that McConaughey (who was said to be growing impatient over protracted contract negotiations earlier in the year) is no longer involved. Likewise it would appear to make the chances of current Yellowstone stars Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, and Luke Grimes joining the series less likely, despite word that they were close to signing on for the project at one point in 2024. No official announcements have been made on either of those fronts, though, so for now fans will have to continue to hope.
When will The Madison debut?
Per TVLine‘s previous reporting, The Madison was slated to begin production in August, with filming planned for Montana and New York, as well as Texas, where filming for the second season of the prequel 1923 is also currently underway. Adams later confirmed in October that the production was in the process of filming in Montana.
When 2024 was announced, it was slated to debut following the final installment of Yellowstone‘s season 5 (the first half of which concluded in January 2023.) Given that, it’s theoretically possible that we could see The Madison airing as early as this month, though given the lack of advance promotion or additional details, it seems increasingly likely that the series won’t be hitting our screens until 2025.
It’s equally unclear at the moment whether the series will appear on cable via Paramount Network, as Yellowstone does, or if it will be be streaming-first on Paramount+, as with Sheridan’s other Dutton spinoffs.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.