Will The Coronavirus Affect The Release Of Yellowstone Season 3?
No doubt about it: Yellowstone is a hit. The Kevin Costner series, which follows the adventures of the wealthy ranching family the Duttons, became the second-highest rated scripted series on basic cable before its first season even finished airing. During season two, it only got more popular.
And yet, while the Duttons have held firm against nefarious land developers, members of the neighboring Indian reservation, and the people running the Yellowstone National Park, there's a new threat that may be too much for even the most hardened ranch hand to deal with: the coronavirus. Over the past few weeks, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the entertainment industry, shutting down productions and delaying some of the most-anticipated premieres of 2020 indefinitely.
Yellowstone's third season is currently scheduled to debut on June 17, 2020, but will the pandemic force the Paramount Network to push the return of its hit series back a few months? Probably not. While ViacomCBS hasn't given an official statement one way or the other, filming on Yellowstone season three ended last fall. A trailer for the third season even appeared online on the same day that the second season finale aired on television.
Now, there's obviously more to a television show than what happens on set. Even with shooting done, Yellowstone still needs to be edited, scored, mixed, and so on. Still, those activities don't require the same masses of people as the actual shoot, and the behind-the-scenes crew has a big head start. Things could change, but for now it looks like Yellowstone season three will arrive right on schedule.
Even if Yellowstone season three is safe, will the coronavirus delay season four?
That being said, if Yellowstone's fourth season, which has already been ordered by ViacomCBS, follows season three's example, it should be scheduled to start pre-production soon (if it hasn't already) and begin filming this June.
At the moment, that seems like a dicier proposition. The coronavirus has already impacted upcoming seasons of shows like The Witcher, Russian Doll, and Stranger Things, as well as the current seasons Riverdale, Grey's Anatomy, and The Flash. At the rate things are going, a production delay on Yellowstone season four seems possible even if season three airs when it's supposed to.
Thankfully, it's not all bad news. If you're stuck at home thanks to the coronavirus and haven't managed to watch Yellowstone yet, now's the perfect time to see what everyone is talking about. There are lots of ways to watch the first two seasons of Yellowstone (especially if you're willing to pay a few bucks) while practicing social distancing. Already caught up and don't want to wait for more? Mosey on over to the TV and check out our list of other shows Yellowstone fans are sure to love. C'mon. It's not like you have anything else to do.