‘Yellowstone’ Fans Are Freaking Out About Cole Hauser’s New Season 5 Update

Yellowstone star Cole Hauser turned to social media to give his fans an update on the second half of Season 5, and their reactions range from overjoyed to disappointed.

Is Yellowstone Currently Shooting Season 5?

Yes. Hauser plays Dutton Ranch foreman Rip Wheeler on the Paramount Network smash. He posted a photo on Instagram on May 23 that shows a vast expanse of unspoiled countryside, with a wooden fence in the foreground and mountains in the distance. A hazy rainbow completes the natural beauty of the picture, which Hauser indicated is from Montana, where Yellowstone shoots.

"Good morning #montana I’ve missed ya old friend!" Hauser writes to accompany the shot. "If you are going to rise, you might as well shine."

What Are Yellowstone Fans Saying About Season 5?

Hauser's fans were mostly overjoyed to see that he was back on the set of Yellowstone, which aired the first half of Season 5 before the second half got delayed for more than a year amid scheduling conflicts with series creator Taylor Sheridan's long list of other shows. Those scheduling conflicts led to a very public feud between Sheridan and series star Kevin Costner.

"And look at that rainbow, a sign of good things ahead!" one fan wrote, while another chimed in, "Please tell me we have more seasons coming."

"The post we've been waiting for. The man in black returns!" another user wrote.

But not everyone appeared as excited, with some users bringing up the tension between Sheridan and Costner, which resulted in Costner departing the show and Sheridan making the decision to pull the plug on subsequent seasons and wrap the series after the end of Season 5.

"If would be nice if Yellowstone didn’t disappear forever… Taylor needs to finish a series before starting another. He has a bunch of unfinished great shows right now," one fan wrote.

"Let’s hope writer Taylor Sheridan does u justice in ur character! He nixed Kevin Cosner from YS and sues you over coffee!! Downfall of YS belongs to Taylor Sheridan!" another chimed in.

Hauser's post appeared just days after Forrie J. Smith — who plays Lloyd on Yellowstone — confirmed that filming was finally underway for the second half of Season 5.

When Will the Final Episodes of Yellowstone Air?

The final episodes of Yellowstone will begin airing in November of 2024.

Variety reports that the second half of Season 5 will consist of six new episodes.

Is Kevin Costner Returning to Yellowstone?

It's not clear if Kevin Costner will return for any of the final episodes of Yellowstone to wrap his character, Dutton patriarch John Dutton.

Costner revealed in 2023 that he was no longer under contract to the show, and Sheridan said in an interview that he was working around Costner's absence. However, the lawsuit Costner alluded to over his pay-or-play deal for future seasons never materialized, and Costner has said publicly that he'd still like to work things out, leading to speculation that he will return to wrap his character's story arc.

A new Yellowstone sequel will reportedly follow the end of the series, with Matthew McConaughey rumored to star. His participation is also unconfirmed.

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He's interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.