If greenlit, the sixth season of the flagship series would be led by “Yellowstone” stars Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser. In the series, Reilly plays Beth Dutton, the daughter of John Dutton III (Costner), while Hauser stars as Rip Wheeler, Beth’s husband and the family’s go-to ranch hand.

A representative for Paramount declined to comment. Deadline first reported the news.

The news comes as “Yellowstone” is gearing up to close out its fifth — and what was previously understood as its final — season, after delays from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023 and clashes with Costner pushed the latter half of Season 5 from debuting in the summer of 2023. The back half of “Yellowstone” Season 5 only began production in May 2024, and is set to premiere Sunday, Nov. 10 on Paramount Network and Paramount+.

Costner’s contentious relationship with the show has been cited as a reason for the ending of “Yellowstone,” and had sparked speculation of whether he might appear in the second half of Season 5. In June, Costner confirmed he would not be returning for the show’s final episodes, saying in an Instagram video, “I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue season five B or into the future.”

Costner’s limited involvement was visible in the first half of Season 5, during which he reportedly prioritized his “Horizon,” his epic Western saga which comprises of four films that he is directing, co-writing and starring in. “Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1” premiered at the end of June.

The “Yellowstone” universe is also rapidly expanding, with spinoff series “The Madison” recently finding its leads in Matthew Fox and Michelle Pfeiffer. “The Madison” will join existing spinoffs “1883” and “1923,” which is slated to return for a second season, and modern-day spin-off “6666,” which is still in development.