The sequel to Taylor Sheridan’s acclaimed Neo-Western Wind River filmed back in 2023, so why does it seem no closer to being released? Wind River was the final chapter in Taylor Sheridan’s unofficial American Frontier trilogy. This trilogy (also consisting of Sicario and Hell or High Water) shared themes instead of characters or plot.
Wind River also marked Sheridan’s directorial debut, and followed Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen’s characters as they investigated a brutal murder on a reservation. Out of the many Taylor Sheridan movies and TV shows in existence, Wind River could be his greatest work to date. It didn’t exactly scream out as something with big franchise potential, though.
Wind River: The Next Chapter Filmed Back In 2023
Jeremy Renner as Cody aiming a rifle in the snow in Wind River.
Nevertheless, it was announced in 2022 that Wind River: The Next Chapter was happening. Neither Renner nor Olsen are returning, but both Martin Sensmeier and Gil Birmingham will reprise their roles as Chip and Martin Hanson, respectively.
Chip has come a long way from the previous film, where he was shown to be a drug dealer and addict. In The Next Chapter, he has become a tracker for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, who is chasing down a serial killer on the reservation. The cast also includes Jason Clarke, Kali Reis and Scott Eastwood.
One notable thing about Wind River: The Next Chapter is that it was filmed back in March 2023, but it has yet to receive either a trailer or release date. It’s not unheard of for movies to go quiet after they wrap filming, but after three years, the silence surrounding the sequel is odd.
Taylor Sheridan Isn’t Involved With Wind River: The Next Chapter
Given Sheridan’s TV empire – which expanded to include The Madison and Yellowstone spinoff Marshals in 2026 – it should come as little surprise he has no time for movies. Thus, Sheridan has no real involvement with Wind River: The Next Chapter, which was directed by Kari Skogland (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier).
Presumably, Sheridan gave the project his blessing, as several of his collaborators are involved. Still, his lack of involvement is disappointing. Sheridan has a unique voice as a writer, and when he’s not the one typing up the screenplays (as is the case with the undercooked Marshals) his absence can be felt.
Legal Issues Have Prevented Wind River: The Next Chapter’s Release
The Sheridan-verse · Ranch Assessment Taylor Sheridan Trivia Challenge
🏠YellowstoneProtect the ranch 🐴1883The Oregon Trail 🌾1923Drought & dust 🔒KingstownPrison politics 🎼Tulsa KingMade man, new town
01 The Dutton family has controlled the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States for over a century. In which state is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch located?
✓ Correct! The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sits near the border of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show is filmed primarily in Montana, with the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby serving as the Dutton homestead.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Montana. The Dutton Ranch borders Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky Country. While the rugged landscape could pass for Wyoming or Idaho, the show is set — and largely filmed — in Montana.
02 John Dutton is the iron-willed patriarch who will stop at nothing to protect his family’s land. Which Oscar-winning actor portrayed him for the first four seasons of Yellowstone?
✓ Correct! Kevin Costner brought gravitas and quiet intensity to John Dutton, anchoring Yellowstone as one of the most-watched shows on cable television. His departure ahead of Season 5B became one of the biggest stories in TV.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Kevin Costner. While Sam Elliott did appear in 1883, Josh Brolin has his own Sheridan series (Outer Range isn’t Sheridan’s), and Kurt Russell hasn’t joined the Sheridan-verse. Costner defined John Dutton.
03 In the prequel series 1883, a Civil War veteran leads his family on a brutal wagon-train journey from Texas to Montana to find a new home. What is the name of this original Dutton patriarch?
✓ Correct! James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw, is the Civil War veteran who leads his wife Margaret and their children on the perilous journey west. His daughter Elsa narrates the series, and the family’s arrival in Montana establishes the Yellowstone Ranch.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is James Dutton. Jacob Dutton is the character Harrison Ford plays in 1923 — James’s brother. John Dutton Sr. doesn’t appear until later generations, and Emmett Dutton doesn’t exist in the Sheridan-verse.
04 On the Dutton Ranch, certain cowboys receive a permanent mark of loyalty — a hot-iron brand seared into their skin that signifies a blood oath to the ranch. What symbol is this feared brand?
✓ Correct! The branded “Y” is the Yellowstone Ranch’s livestock mark, but for ranch hands, wearing it on their chest means a lifelong oath of silence and loyalty. “Taking someone to the train station” is what happens to those who betray it.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the letter “Y” — for Yellowstone. The brand is both a ranch identifier and a mark of absolute loyalty. Characters like Rip, Kayce, and Jimmy all bear the “Y” brand, signifying they’ve sworn their lives to the ranch.
05 In 1923, the Dutton family battles drought, Prohibition, and encroaching modernity during the Great Depression era. Which legendary Hollywood actor plays patriarch Jacob Dutton?
✓ Correct! Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton alongside Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. Ford’s casting marked his first major television role and brought massive star power to the expanding Sheridan-verse. The series is set during Prohibition and the early Depression.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Harrison Ford. In his first major TV role, Ford plays Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton from 1883. Helen Mirren stars opposite him as Cara Dutton. Their star power helped make 1923 Paramount+’s biggest premiere.
06 Beth Dutton’s volatile love story with a tough ranch foreman is one of Yellowstone’s most beloved storylines. The two eventually marry in a surprise ceremony. Who is Beth’s husband?
✓ Correct! Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, is John Dutton’s most loyal enforcer and Beth’s husband. Taken in by John as a teenager after a traumatic past, Rip would do anything for the Dutton family — and his fierce devotion to Beth became a fan-favorite romance.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Rip Wheeler. Lloyd Pierce is the bunkhouse elder, Walker is a ranch hand and musician, and Jimmy Hurdstrom is the hapless cowboy who eventually gets sent to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Only Rip won Beth’s wild heart.
07 In Mayor of Kingstown, a family serves as power brokers in a Michigan town where the prison industry is the only business. Which family navigates this dark world of incarceration and corruption?
✓ Correct! The McLusky family, led by Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), acts as unofficial mediators between prisoners, gangs, police, and politicians in Kingstown, Michigan. The show is one of Sheridan’s grittiest explorations of the American justice system.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the McLusky family. Jeremy Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who inherits the role of “mayor” — an unofficial power broker between inmates, gangs, and law enforcement. The Duttons are Yellowstone’s dynasty, not Kingstown’s.
08 One Dutton sibling is an adopted son and ambitious lawyer who frequently clashes with his family — sometimes even conspiring against them. His complex loyalty drives much of the show’s drama. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Jamie Dutton, played by Wes Bentley, is the adopted son and Harvard-educated lawyer whose desperate need for his father’s approval and political ambition create some of Yellowstone’s most dramatic betrayals. His rivalry with Beth is legendary.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Jamie Dutton. Kayce is John’s biological youngest son (a former Navy SEAL), Lee is the eldest son who dies in Season 1, and Tate is Kayce’s young son. Only Jamie is the adopted lawyer who conspires against the family.
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Are you a ranch foreman — or headed straight to the train station?
Various cast members involved with The Next Chapter have spoken with Screen Rant since wrapping work on the sequel. In January 2025, Kali Reis stated she was excited for the movie, but she didn’t know when it would arrive.
Gil Birmingham has said Wind River 2 is “more of a thriller” and a “very different beast” from the original, but underlined that Sheridan had no real involvement. He also believed that difficulties in classifying what genre The Next Chapter belongs to might be one reason for its delay.
In October 2025, Jason Clarke praised the follow-up as a “beautiful” movie with an “insane cast.” Without going into specifics, Clarke also revealed it had been “locked up with the legalities,” but that it should arrive “soon.”
It would be interesting to find out what legalities have been tying up Wind River: The Next Chapter. It’s almost nine years on from the original, so delaying the sequel for so long won’t do any favors to the project’s visibility. Hopefully, Clarke is right, and we’ll all be seeing the film very soon.
