Yellowstone Season 2 premiere date, trailer, cast, plot and everything we know about the return of Paramount’s hit series [Updated]


Yellowstone Season 2
Paramount Network announced Yellowstone returns for Season 2 (Pic credit: Paramount Network)

Update: Paramount Network has announced that Yellowstone Season 2 will premiere on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at 10 p.m ET.

Paramount released a clip announcing the release date  on March 21.

The network had earlier dropped a teaser trailer on March 20. Fans can expect the full official trailer to follow soon.

Yellowstone is created by Taylor Sheridan and John Lison, and stars Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Kelsey Asbille, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Brecken Merrill, Gil Birmingham, and Jefferson White.

The series is executive produced by Kevin Costner, John Linson, David C. Glasser, Taylor Sheridan, and Art Linson.

Introduction

Yellowstone is returning in 2019 for a 10-episode Season 2.

Paramount Network announced the renewal of Yellowstone for Season 2 on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, about halfway into the intensely dramatic 10-episode run of the series’ first season, and four weeks before the season finale which aired on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

That Paramount confirmed the renewal of Yellowstone for Season 2 well ahead of the end of the first season did not come as a surprise to fans who had expected to continue following the Dutton family drama beyond Season 1.

The first season of Yellowstone was a huge success with stellar ratings performance. The record-setting series premiere attracted nearly 5 million viewers (Live+3 Days P2+), more than double the viewership of Waco (2018), the network’s first scripted drama miniseries, and triple the viewership of the network’s now-canceled comedy series American Woman (2018).

Yellowstone Season 1 also ranked as the #1 new drama on broadcast and cable, with a 1.1 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, and 1.7 in the 25-54 demographic. The series’ premiere ranked as the most-watched scripted series premiere on ad-supported cable since The People vs. O.J. Simpson (2016). It was also Paramount Network’s most-watched original TV series telecast ever.

Following its premiere, the series rose quickly in viewership to become 2018’s second most-watched TV series on ad-supported cable, only behind AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Yellowstone is Paramount’s third original series — after Waco and American Woman — since it rebranded (formerly Spike TV) in January 2018.

The series, which premiered on Paramount Network on June 20, 2018, stars Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Gil Birmingham and Cole Hauser. It follows the struggles of the fictional Dutton family who own the largest single ranch in the U.S.

Kevin Costner portrays the family patriarch John Dutton, who is determined to defend the family’s generational property from encroaching neighbors, including land developers, a neighboring town, a Native American reservation, and Yellowstone National Park.

Fans took to social media to express delight after Paramount confirmed Yellowstone for Season 2. They were full of praises for Season 1.

https://twitter.com/zacksitton/status/1029951080426295296?

While fans impatiently await new updates on the upcoming season’s premiere date, trailers, cast, and plot, we have compiled everything known so far about the highly-anticipated show.

Premiere date

Kevin Costner's as John Dutton with his horse
Kevin Costner’s character John Dutton fights to keep control of his massive ranch. Pic credit: Paramount Network

The new season is set to premiere on Paramount Network in 2019, but the exact air date has not been announced. However, since Paramount confirmed Season 2 for an unspecified date in 2019, some eager fans have guessed that the series will return in the same month the first one premiered in.

Yellowstone Season 1 premiered on Paramount Network on June 20, 2018, and some fans are predicting that Season 2 will sometime around June 2019.

Regardless of when Yellowstone returns, fans are encouraged by the fact that Paramount has already started production of Season 2. The network announced in a press release on July 24 that production of the upcoming season “would begin shortly.”

Show director Taylor Sheridan’s wife, Nic, posted a short video to Instagram on August 20 that appeared to indicate that filming of Season 2 had begun.

Details

John Dutton on his ranch
John Dutton, the patriarch of the Dutton family, owns the largest single ranch property in the U.S. Pic credit: Paramount Network

Filming of the 10-episode Season 2  apparently began in August before the Season 1 finale aired on August 22. Filming is being done entirely on location in Montana and Utah. The series places a lot of emphasis on authenticity, with the filming being done against the backdrop of the wild beauty of the natural landscapes of Montana’s backcountry.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan returns to helm the series. Sheridan is also executive producing the series with Kevin Costner, John Linson, Art Linson, and David C. Glasser.

Lauren Ruggerio and Ted Gold are overseeing production for Paramount Network.

Sheridan is known for his work on Wind River (2017), Hell or High Water (2016), and Sicario (2015).  He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on Hell or High Water (2016).

Sheridan’s return to write and direct Yellowstone is expected to help the series maintain creative consistency.

Season 2 trailer

Paramount has not yet released a trailer for the the upcoming season. We will update readers as soon as the teasers and trailers are released.

Meanwhile, enjoy the trailer for the previous season below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j2R4fNxTdY

Season 2 cast

The Dutton Ranch helicopter
The season is being shot entirely on location in Utah and Montana. Pic credit: Paramount Network

The photo below was posted to Instagram by Taylor Sheridan’s wife Nicole on the second day of production of Season 2. It appears to tease fans that Costner is returning for the next season.

But some fans argued it could mean that Costner is only directing.

However, it is likely that Costner will star in Season 2. At the end of the Season 1 finale, we were treated to a series of shots from the filming of Season 2 which appeared to show the actor dressed in character.

Fans are looking forward to seeing Costner play John Dutton again, and hope he will be around for the entire season despite Dutton having recently been diagnosed with colon cancer.

Costner played a major role in the Season 1 and fans will really miss him if his character is killed off too soon.

In addition to Kevin Costner as the family patriarch John Dutton, Yellowstone stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, John and Evelyn’s fiercely independent son. Kayce is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who lived on the nearby Indian reservation with his Native American wife, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille), who is a teacher.

Kelly Reilly portrays Beth Dutton, the financier daughter of John and Evelyn. The smart and highly-educated woman suffers from substance abuse issues.

Wes Bentley plays Jamie Dutton, an attorney and one of John and Evelyn’s sons. He is an aspiring politician who clashes frequently with his sister Beth.

Cole Hauser portrays Rip Wheeler, John Dutton’s loyal enforcer, right-hand man and foreman at the ranch. He has worked for Dutton for many years and is fiercely loyal to the family patriarch. He has a casual relationship with Beth.

Brecken Merrill plays Tate Dutton, Kayce’s son. Tate is John’s only grandchild. Jefferson White plays Jimmy Hurdstrom, an employee at the Dutton ranch.

Danny Huston appears as Dan Jenkins, a land developer who wants to acquire some of the Dutton property for development.

Gil Birmingham plays Thomas Rainwater, the chief of the neighboring Native Americans who live on the nearby reservation.

Josh Lucas portrays young John Dutton, Rhys Alterman portrays young Kayce, Kylie Rogers as young Beth, Kyle Red Silverstein as young Rip Wheeler, and Dalton Baker as young Jamie, all in recurring roles.

Deadline reported on September 14, 2018, that Legends of Tomorrow star Neal McDonough was set to join the cast for season 2 in a recurring role. McDonough is reportedly set to play Malcolm Beck, “a wealthy business mogul who runs an area casino with his brother, Teal. They are power players, down and dirty fighters who know how to work the system to get what they want.”

Sheridan also revealed in a recent interview with the New York Post that Season 2 will see an escalation of the ongoing land grab conflict and that the conflict will involve new villainous characters. Sheridan’s statement has led to speculation that McDonough’s character Malcolm Beck is a villain.

McDonough is known for having played the role of villain Damien Darhk on The CW’s Arrowverse shows. Darhk first appeared as the main antagonist in The CW’s series Arrow (TV series 2012- ), and later as one of the antagonists in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (TV series 2016- ).

He also appeared in Rogue (TV series 2013- ) as Casey Oaks, in Suits (TV series 2011- ) as Sean Cahill, and as Robert Quarles in FX’s Justified (TV series 2012-2015). He earlier appeared in Minority Report (2002) as Fletcher, and as Sergeant Timothy “Dum-Dum” Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Season 2 plot

Kevin Costner as John Dutton
Kevin Costner returns as John Dutton. Pic credit: Paramount Network

Yellowstone is a family drama series set against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery of rural Montana, near the Yellowstone National Park. The series is neo-Western, that is, a modern version of old frontier Western stories.

It chronicles the struggles of the wealthy Dutton family, led by its patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner), and his children Beth (Kelly Reilly), Jamie (Wes Bentley), and Kayce (Luke Grimes). The family owns the largest single cattle ranch in the U.S.

John Dutton is facing personals struggles of his own after having recently been diagnosed with colon cancer.

“He’s [John Dutton] sick,” Sheridan said. “The stakes are high. He’s making a lot of moves now because he knows he might be gone soon.”

As the patriarch of the family, he is concerned about the future of the Dutton ranch. He is determined to protect the generational property from land grabbers, and secure the family’s financial future against encroachment by neighbors, including an expanding neighboring township, a Native American reservation, the Yellowstone National Park, and land developers.

But he’s been recently diagnosed with colon cancer and knows he has only a short time left.

“I don’t have a child who can fight for this,” Dutton admits. “I’m running out of time… My children aren’t ready to protect this place. These problems have to go away before I do.”

The land conflict involves politicians, lawyers, and a local indigenous tribe. The conflict leads to violence and deaths, including the death of Dutton’s son Lee (Dave Annable), who was killed in the pilot episode of the series.

“It was the notion of a man who had inherited the seventh generation of this massive cattle ranch and reaching a place where he was aware of his own mortality, and who could he trust to shepherd this ranch into the next generation?” Sheridan said about Costner’s character in an interview with Variety.

“And when you have a piece of land as big as this is, it’s almost a kingdom. And so does that make you a king? Kings, they don’t employ morality when they’re making decisions. Their job is to preserve the kingdom.”

The finale of Season 1 ended with unresolved questions which Season 2 will no doubt address. Sheridan also revealed in an interview with Variety that there will be an intensification of the ongoing land grab-related conflict.

The family faces a dire threat after John falls out with his attorney son Jamie. Jamie is running for Attorney General without his father’s support. Season 2 will see Jamie faced with a decision whether to reveal his family’s secret to save his political future or sacrifice his political aspirations.

“The only way to protect my father’s legacy is to destroy the man,” Jamie says.

Fans have been speculating about the nature of the dark family secret Jamie is under pressure to divulge. Could it be murder or blackmail?

Meanwhile, Kayce returns home from the Native American reservation after his wife Monica left him, but he is determined to secure his son’s future, while Monica recovers after suffering a brain injury.

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Mary
Mary
3 years ago

When does the next season (3) start.

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