Why it might take even longer for ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 to air its final episodes

Writers who work on movies and television have gone on strike, so what does that mean for the future of “Yellowstone”?

The Writer’s Guild of America authorized the move on Tuesday after over 11,000 of its members voted to go on strike, the union’s first in 15 years. The last writer’s strike lasted 100 days in late 2007 into early 2008.

So, why are the writers on strike? To be paid equitably, they say. The entry of streaming services over the last decade has complicated matters. Even as studio budgets soared, pay for writers have stagnated. Also, writers are getting a smaller piece of residuals, the cut artists get from the money projects make after its first run.

It’s unknown how long the writers will stay on the picket lines. Striking writers showed up in front of major studio offices such as Netflix, Warner Bros. and Paramount in Los Angeles and New York. But with writer’s not working, it could impact the production of movies and television. Here’s what we know:

How will the writer’s strike affect ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5?

After wrapping up its first half of Season 5 earlier this year, six more episodes remain.

Soon after episode 8 aired on Jan. 1, the “Yellowstone” social media accounts teased that the back half of the season would arrive on Paramount Network this summer. It’s now May and there’s been little to no update on when more episodes will hit the small screen.

However, the writer’s strike could be beneficial for “Yellowstone” as it could give time to series creator Taylor Sheridan and actor Kevin Costner to reconcile their differences, according to Parade.

Word broke in February that the back half of the latest “Yellowstone” season could be the show’s last with Costner as John Dutton. Scheduling conflicts with Costner’s multi-part western movie epic “Horizon” precluding the star from continuing his role as patriarch of the Montana ranch family.

No matter what happens between Sheridan and Costner, the second half of “Yellowstone” Season 5 could come out amid the writer’s strike.

Sheridan writes most of the show, and if he has written the second half of the season, filming could commence. But if Sheridan and crew were unable to finish the scripts before the strike, “Yellowstone” fans could be waiting even longer for their favorite show to come back.

The Star-Telegram reached out to the Paramount Network for comment on how the writer’s strike could affect “Yellowstone” season 5, but have not heard back.

Will the writers guild strike stop production of ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff shows?

Sheridan expanded his “Yellowstone” universe with prequel shows featuring the early days of the Dutton family with “1883” and “1923.”

“1883” came out in late 2021, followed by “1923” in late 2022 with a second season planned. Since “1923” finished its first season in February, work has likely begun on the second season. But its probably a safe bet the show wouldn’t go into production until later this year, according to TV Guide.

The other “Yellowstone” spinoff show in the works is titled “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” based on the real-life first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. David Oyelowo is cast in the titular role.

Since “Bass Reeves” has been filming around North Texas since the start of the year, the writer’s strike will likely not affect production on the show. Scripted shows are written weeks if not months in advance of production, which mean the writing on “Bass Reeves” was likely finished last year.

No release date has been announced for “Bass Reeves,” but “Yellowstone” fans will likely see the lawmen show first, unlike the latter half of the flagship’s current season.

Will the strike affect movies and television shows?

Late-night talk shows are the productions most impacted by the work stoppage. They will all mostly go dark this week since writers on the shows work in current events in jokes and monologues, according to the Associated Press.

Studios will throw reality shows and international productions into heavy rotation since those projects are not affected by the strike.