We've Rounded Up Everything You Need to Know About Yellowstone Season 4
In 2018, the Paramount Network went all in with the TV show Yellowstone, a modern-day Western that follows the family that controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the U.S.
Led by patriarch John Dutton, the Dutton family clashes with land developers, feels pressure from a neighboring Indian reservation and fends off attacks from numerous foes on their quest to protect their legacy.
The Kevin Costner-led series was an almost-instant hit. Nearly 5 million viewers tuned in for the Yellowstone series premiere, and the ratings held throughout the season, making Yellowstone the second most-watched drama on ad-supported cable in 2018 (after The Walking Dead). The season 3 premiere drew 4.2 million total viewers with the August finale drawing a whopping 5.2 million viewers.
In February 2020, the Paramount Network renewed the Yellowstone series for a fourth season, and we can understand why: Executive producer/co-creator Taylor Sheridan's tightly written drama plays out beautifully against the backdrop of the American West.
And can we talk about the season 3 finale? So many cliffhangers! Our jaws definitely hit floor in that explosive ending. If you're like us and feeling a little desperate for more from the Duttons, you're in luck! We've rounded up everything we know so far about Yellowstone season 4.
Spoiler Alert: If you haven't watched the season 3 finale, stop reading and watch it NOW!
When does Yellowstone season 4 premiere?
Yellowstone season 4 premiered Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 with a two-hour double episode (“Half the Money” and “Phantom Pain”).
Related: Everything We Know About the New Yellowstone Spinoff 6666
Why Yellowstone did not premiere in June 2021
We've been waiting as impatiently as you for the return of Yellowstone. Typically, the series premieres on Father's Day—that would be June 20, 2021. But, it appears we'll have to wait a little longer for season 4. Fan pages are filled with theories about why Yellowstone isn't premiering in June matched with an almost equal number of fake promotional posters touting an incorrect premiere date.
We've done some digging to find out the real reason why season 4 is not premiering in June. Two of the most likely reasons involve a global event in Japan and a missing scene that wasn't filmed last year during principal filming.
According to a Facebook page that recruits and schedules extras for Yellowstone, crews are shooting one last scene for season 4. "We will be back for a 2 day shoot in June!! This is a protest scene that we had to cancel last year due to snow...Work dates 6/10&6/11 must be available both dates. Night calls."
The second reason the season is being delayed may have to do with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (being held in 2021). The Olympics kick off Friday, July 23, 2021, which would be smack in the middle of season 4. Many networks are shifting their TV schedules so viewers won't have to choose between watching their favorite series or athlete.
Related: How to Watch Yellowstone
When did Yellowstone season 4 wrap filming?
Season 4 of Yellowstone finished principal filming in November 2020, as mentioned in several Instagram captions from the cast. The end of principal filming means the majority of filming was completed. But there are sometimes scenes that need to be reshot at a later date.
Related: Kevin Costner Says His Yellowstone Character Isn't a Cowboy
Who's in the cast of Yellowstone season 4?
Paramount Network series Yellowstone has a star-studded cast of talented actors, some of whom can boast a Hollywood lineage going back decades. Parade.com breaks down the actors and their roles as well as the new cast members joining series in fourth season premiering this fall.
Kevin Costner (John Dutton)
As the patriarch of the Dutton clan, John Dutton will do anything to hold on to the land his family has owned for generations. He has many that are loyal to him including his daughter, Beth and foreman Rip and many who are not including his son, Jamie and Governor Perry.
One of Costner's first roles ended up on the cutting room floor. He was the friend in The Big Chill whose death brings a group of friends back together. His character is seen in some flashback scenes but ultimately those scenes were removed from the film. He became a bonafide movie star with his role as Eliot Ness in The Untouchables which he followed up with box office hits No Way Out, Bull Durham and Field of Dreams.
In 1990, Costner starred, directed and produced Dances With Wolves which earned him two Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture.
He is also the singer in the band, Kevin Costner & Modern West.
Fun fact: Costner was actually married to Cinderella! His first wife, Cindy Silva, whom he met in college, played Cinderella at Disneyland.
Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton)
Beth Dutton is the strong willed daughter of John Dutton and doesn't pull any punches when it comes to business or love. Rip Wheeler was her first love and for many fans, hopefully her last.
She starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in both Sherlock Holmes movies as Mary, Watson's paramour and eventual wife (they marry in the second film).
Fun fact: The British Reilly once felt she was being typecast in comedy roles!
Related: Kelly Reilly on Why Season 4 of Yellowstone Is the Most 'Terrifying' Yet!
Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler)
Rip has worked for John Dutton for decades. He may be more loyal to the Dutton patriarch than his own children.
Cole Hauser comes from an entertainment family - his dad is actor Wings Hauser, his uncle is actor Erich Hauser and his grandfather is director and producer Dwight Hauser. His mother, Cass Warner, founded the production company Warner Sisters and his great-grandfather was Harry Warner, one of the original founders of Warner Bros. Studios.
He made his film debut in School Ties which also starred Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris O'Donnell, and Anthony Rapp.
Fun fact: Cole Hauser's wife, Cynthia, is a twin. She and her sister, Brittany were the Doublemint Twins in advertisements for Doublemint gum during the '80s. They later starred as the Wakefield twins in the Sweet Valley High series during the '90s.
Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton)
Kayce might not be the eldest Dutton child, but he seems to be the heir apparent. He's married to Monica, who is of a Native American Indian descent. He and Monica lived for a while on the Broken Rock Indian Reservation.
Aside from Yellowstone, Grimes is best known for his roles on the ABC series Brothers & Sisters, and films American Sniper and Fifty Shades of Grey, where he played the main character's brother, Elliot.
In 2018, Grimes married Brazilian model Bianca Rodrigues.
Related: Get to Know Luke Grimes' Gorgeous Wife
Wes Bentley (Jamie Dutton)
Jamie Dutton doesn't seem to be well liked by anyone. He recently found out that his father, John Dutton, was not his biological father at all. He and his sister, Beth, are not bosom buddies by any means.
Wes Bentley rose to fame with his role in the 1999 film, American Beauty, which won five Academy Awards including Best Picture. He is best known of his role as gamemaker Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games and various roles in the American Horror Story anthology series on FX.