A new report indicates the reprisal of Yellowstone stars in an upcoming spinoff could be in jeopardy due to an ongoing pay dispute. In 2023, it was announced the Kevin Costner-led series would end in November 2024, paving the way for its sequel series, currently titled 2024. The new series will possibly star Matthew McConaughey, with Michelle Pfeiffer also in talks for a leading role.
Now, Puck reports that, ahead of Yellowstone season 5 part 2, the return of stars for the 2024 spinoff could be axed due to pay disputes. Set to reprise their roles in 2024 are reportedly Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler, Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, and Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton. However, Reilly and Hauser want a significant bump in their pay per episode that hasn’t been fully negotiated with Paramount yet.
Yellowstone’s New Pay Dispute Explained
The report also reveals that, while Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan wasn’t planning for the trio to return, the show’s present-day setting coupled with characters’ popularity influenced their reprisal. However, all three coming back will depend on if certain monetary demands are met. Reilly is asking for $1.2 million per episode (down from an initial demand of $1.5 million), while Hauser wants $1.25 million. Paramount’s current offer is $850,000 per episode, with an increase to $950,000 per episode in season 2 of the spinoff.
In addition to higher salaries, Reilly and Hauser want to be highest on the call sheet, even above the incoming stars of the new show. The situation is made more complicated by Paramount needing to pay the cast of Yellowstone for the cancelled season 6, trying to negotiate these prices into their pay bumps for the spinoff. The report goes on to say these negotiations will end this week, meaning more information about who will definitively return will arrive soon.
Given the pay dispute, it’s unclear if 2024 will see anyone from the original aside from Grimes reprise their roles. However, due to how popular Beth and Rip are in the current series, it would make sense for Paramount to try and keep the stars around with a strong monetary deal. The question still remains if the Yellowstone stars will be taking whatever their latest offer is, or if their fates in the franchise will be sealed when the main show ends.