‘Yellowstone’ creator teases Matthew McConaughey’s involvement in spinoff

The "Yellowstone" universe is expanding.

"Yellowstone" is set to end after the second half of Season Five premieres on Paramount Network in November (which may be pushed by the writers strike), but the show's creator Taylor Sheridan has made it clear that fans shouldn't hang up their cowboy hats just yet.

An untitled spinoff is in the works, and while it's unclear if it will feature any familiar faces from Dutton Ranch, Sheridan teased to The Hollywood Reporter that if all goes according to plan, the show will have some major star power.

The Hollywood Reporter's story noted that Matthew McConaughey is in late-stage negotiations for the "new chapter" of "Yellowstone."

"He seems like a natural fit," Sheridan said. "We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching 'Yellowstone' and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’"

Sheridan is following the same formula as "Yellowstone" prequels "1883" and "1923," which means the untitled spinoff will be a stand-alone story with a primarily new cast. "My idea of a spinoff is the same as my idea of a prequel — read into that what you will," he said.

"There are lots of places where a way of life that existed for 150 years is slamming against a new way of life, but the challenges are completely different. There are a lot of places you can tell this story," he said, adding that he only has "the broadest strokes" of the spinoff ironed out.

This news comes after a tumultuous few months for "Yellowstone" fans. Earlier this year, rumors swirled that "Yellowstone" star Kevin Costner was on his way out after sources told Deadline and Variety that the actor had reportedly been less and less available for filming. At the time, a Paramount Network spokesperson told TODAY.com in a statement that the company had “no news to report.”

In the interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan said the actor is, in fact, exiting the show to focus on co-writing, directing and starring in his own Western epic titled "Horizon."

"I’m disappointed. It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it," he said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com