Oh… so Matthew McConaughey could still find his way into the Yellowstone universe?
It’s the crossover that fans of Taylor Sheridan shows have been waiting for, and was originally being shopped around as “2024.” Much like the 1883 and 1923 prequels dove into the past of the Dutton storyline, “2024” was supposed to continue the present storyline, and for quite some time, the star of “2024” was rumored to be Matthew McConaughey.
The fact that we’re currently in 2026 and we’re talking about a show titled “2024” should tell you all that you need to know about how the series never came to fruition.
There were reportedly contract disputes and a hang up where McConaughey wanted to see a script before he signed on. As we’ve heard plenty of times in the past couple of years, that’s not always how Sheridan works. Sometimes he picks the person first, then writes the story around the actor or actress.
It’s been over two years since we last heard anything about Matthew McConaughey joining the Yellowstone universe. And with the Michelle Pfieffer led The Madison and Dutton Ranch seeing the Yellowstone storyline continued in the modern day with Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, many just assumed that one of those shows likely replaced the one that McConaughey was set to do.
According to Cole Hauser, that’s not exactly the case. He told The Playlist recently that the show his friend and movie star was supposed to star in was something entirely separate from Dutton Ranch, and it sounds like the actor behind Rip Wheeler is leaving the door open for McConaughey to still join in on the Yellowstone fun:
“’Dutton Ranch’ was a one-off to its own. I know what you’re talking about. I’m friends with Matthew, so we had a little dialogue along the way years ago, but it had nothing to do with that. It was just how do we take these two creative beings – Kelly and me – and give us the kind of, I guess, roadmap to continue to create these characters and do something special that’s new and challenging and that’s entertaining ultimately for the audience.”
Nothing to do with Dutton Ranch, eh? So could that mean that somewhere down the road, McConaughey could still find himself dropping into the Taylor Sheridan universe? It still seems like a long shot, but based on how Hauser talked about it, it seems like it’s not out of the cards entirely.
For those wishing that Hauser and McConaughey would share the screen in some sort of Yellowstone spinoff, you’ll likely be happily surprised to find out that they are currently working on a show together.
Matthew McConaughey and Cole Hauser have signed on as executive producers, and the two actors are also set to play brothers in the football drama that is titled Arena. Hauser revealed later in the interview with The Playlist that he and McConaughey will be playing brothers that both coach DI college football, and eventually play one another in the National Championship game:
“It’s about two brothers who coach in college sports, in Division One. Obviously, they coach together at the beginning of the story, and then as time goes on, they separate. I go and head coach somewhere, and he goes and head coaches at another school, and then it’s about how they eventually find each other in the National Championship.”
This football drama idea is one that Hauser and McConaughey have reportedly kicked around for quite some time. They’ve been friends for over two decades, and it’s believed this project was birthed through their friendship and mutual appreciation for the sport of football. Based upon the alleged “competitiveness” to obtain the rights to the project, sports fans and those like dramas could be in for a real treat when the show hits Netflix.
As for McConaughey starring in a Yellowstone series… fans might have to continue to be alright, alright, alright with waiting.
