Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount Exit Nixes the Yellowstone Spinoff John Dutton Fans Have Been Waiting For

Taylor Sheridan, the guy who built Yellowstone into Paramount's crown jewel, is reportedly on his way out. The chatter started at Puck, and now it sounds like the plan is for him to part ways with Paramount once his current deal runs out in 2028. If you were hoping for that Josh Lucas-as-young-John-Dutton prequel fans have been yelling about, this probably isn't the news you wanted.

Where this is coming from

Puck reported that Sheridan and Paramount are headed for a split after a long, very lucrative run together. The exit isn’t immediate — we’re talking about him finishing out his obligations through 2028 and then moving on. The reasons floating around are familiar: frustration with the company and creative control headaches. The word going around is that he’s open to working with rivals (NBCUniversal is the name getting tossed around), which tracks with someone who wants a bigger sandbox and fewer speed bumps. None of this is shocking if you’ve been following the corporate drama; it’s just very behind-the-scenes.

So what happens to young John Dutton?

Short version: don’t hold your breath. Yellowstone has flashed back to a younger John Dutton, played by Josh Lucas, and fans have been pushing for a ’90s-set prequel built around him. As of now, there hasn’t been any real movement on that idea, and with Sheridan looking beyond Paramount after 2028, the window for that specific spin-off gets narrower. Disappointing, sure. But it also sounds like Sheridan had his own reasons for not chasing it, beyond just the business side.

Why the prequels made that idea feel doable

1883 and 1923 proved the universe still works when the story goes back to basics — harsh, gritty frontier stuff instead of palace intrigue on a ranch. Those shows connected in a way that the main series, for some viewers, stopped doing after the first couple seasons. Sheridan has even talked about how he approached Yellowstone versus 1883, and he did not mince words.

"With Yellowstone, which is nonsensical — there’s a great writer named Gretel Ehrlich, who calls it my horse opera because it makes no sense and it’s not trying to. And yet it’s a window into a world. There’s a very sort of loving nature with the camera that attempts to sell this place as the idyllic location to raise a family. I subtracted from that in 1883, and tried to make it look slightly more foreign."

Translation: Yellowstone was intentionally operatic; 1883 stripped the romance out of it. That’s part of why fans thought a Josh Lucas-led prequel could click — the character is iconic, and the prequels showed the format still has juice. But if Sheridan isn’t into that story, it’s not happening.

Why walking away might actually help Sheridan

If the reports are right and he’s been chafing at Paramount, leaving could be a net positive for him. He’s built a reputation that travels, and working with a rival studio could mean more freedom, more resources, and the chance to try projects that aren’t typical of his current slate. It’s the classic trade: less corporate friction, more creative runway.

Yellowstone, quick refresher

• Creators: Taylor Sheridan, John Linson
• Main cast: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser
• IMDb score: 8.6/10
• US streaming: Peacock

So, did Sheridan make the right call? If he wants control and range, probably. If you wanted the Josh Lucas prequel, probably not. Let me know where you land.