Michelle Pfieffer could reportedly become the face of the 'Yellowstone' universe
- Michelle Pfeiffer is in talks to star in the new "Yellowstone" spinoff series, said Puck.
- She's closer to striking a deal than Matthew McConaughey, who won't sign on until he sees a script.
Michelle Pfeiffer is in the final stage of negotiations to take on the female lead in the new as-yet-untitled "Yellowstone" sequel, according to Puck.
The 65-year-old actor, seen most recently in the Marvel blockbuster "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," is close to striking a deal with Paramount Network's parent company Paramount Global and 101 Studios, per a report from Puck's Matthew Belloni.
Representatives for Pfeiffer, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, are likely to either seal the deal or walk away in the next week or two.
Not much is known about the series, which was announced in May 2023 as an "expansion of the Yellowstone universe." It is the third spinoff spawned from the hugely popular Western drama, following "1883," starring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and "1923," led by Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford.
Matthew McConaughey's name has been attached to the series since Deadline broke the news that the flagship would be drawing to a close with its current fifth season amid disagreements between showrunner Taylor Sheridan and actor Kevin Costner.
But according to the new report, McConaughey is less committed to the project than Pfeiffer at the moment, as his agent has stated that he won't ink a deal until he sees a script from Sheridan, something that hasn't happened yet.
Sheridan, who co-created the OG series with Jon Linson, shared some details about the follow-up show, which has been greenlighted straight-to-series, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year.
At the time, he said that McConaughey "seems like a natural fit" to lead the "new chapter" of the Dutton saga.
"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.'"
"By 'that,' he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, 'Buddy, that we can do.'"
The new series could also feature some "Yellowstone" original stars Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, and Luke Grimes, but all three have requested significant pay increases to return, according to Belloni.
Reilly and Hauser have asked their per-episode salary to be upped to $1.2 million and $1.25 million, respectively, he stated, citing industry sources. Grimes' requested renegotiation fee wasn't shared.
Paramount and 101 Studios have pushed back on the proposed new salaries — which come close to the $1.3 million per episode Costner was receiving during the first half of season five — and have set a deadline for Reilly, Hauser, and Grimes' reps to strike a deal this week.