Taylor Sheridan’s Upcoming Yellowstone Sequel Presents A High-Stakes Franchise-First

Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming Yellowstone spinoff, The Madison, takes a massive risk with a franchise-first. Since Yellowstone’s ending in late 2024 and 1923’s ending a few months later, audiences have been waiting in anticipation for the next installment.

Creator Taylor Sheridan has big plans for the series, with three shows concluded and four more Yellowstone spinoffs in development. The Madison could potentially release in late 2025, but early 2026 seems more realistic.

The Madison Won’t Be Led By The Dutton Family

When it comes to starting a franchise out of a show like Yellowstone, one has to wonder what the connective tissue of that franchise is. The first two spinoff shows to debut, 1883 and 1923, were both centered around previous generations of the Duttons. Future spinoffs, such as the Kayce Dutton procedural or the Rip and Beth show, continue that trend.

This makes The Madison a notable outlier, as none of the reported cast members will be playing members of the Dutton family. In fact, it’s going to be an entirely new ensemble altogether, with the only connection we know of being that it will take place on a cattle ranch in Montana.

For all intents and purposes, Taylor Sheridan could have made The Madison without any connection to Yellowstone, but it seems likely that the series will incorporate crossover elements at some point down the line. With Beth and Rip’s spinoff also in the works, it makes sense that the two ranches would clash.

It’s also apparent that the main family of The Madison, who move to Montana from New York, are precisely the type of people John Dutton was hoping to stop. Viewers aren’t just getting Yellowstone with a new cast; this show is about a family that represents the antithesis of the Duttons.

Paramount Is Fully On-Board For The Madison’s Risks

The Madison could strike a nerve with Yellowstone fans, especially if they end up being at odds with the remaining Duttons. Even if they don’t wind up as adversaries, the show might just feel like a completely different world due to a fresh cast of characters and a potentially different tone.

There’s a lot of risk here, especially given that Yellowstone ultimately ended its run with less-than-stellar reviews. If this is the next major installment, it has to perform to maintain audience faith in the franchise.

Paramount has already demonstrated tremendous support for the series, renewing The Madison months before it hits the air. Taylor Sheridan is their maestro, and if the company is willing to invest in the show’s future this early on, the risk might pay off.