Matthew McConaughey has offered one of the most candid updates yet on the Yellowstone spin-off that has been hovering in development for years — and the bottom line is simple: nothing is concrete, not yet.

The Oscar-winning actor addressed the long-gestating project during a recent appearance on The Playlist’s Discourse podcast, where he painted a picture of ongoing talks but no firm deal in sight.

“No, I mean, it’s not any more of a thing than it was or probably any less of a thing than it was that did hit the headlines there for a while,” McConaughey explained. “Taylor and I have spoken and have continued to have conversations about what (it could be) and if that would be whatever. But nothing’s real yet.”

The remark landed as a gentle but clear signal that while the project has been rumored for years, it remains firmly in the realm of “what if” rather than “when.”

Back in June 2023, Taylor Sheridan himself had been more optimistic, telling The Hollywood Reporter that McConaughey seemed like a “natural fit” for a role on a spin-off series. The Dallas Buyers Club star had reportedly responded enthusiastically to the “raw world clashing against the modern world” vibe of the Yellowstone universe. Sheridan even noted that after a few conversations over the years, “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.’”

Those early conversations were promising, but as McConaughey pointed out, promises in Hollywood don’t always turn into on-screen reality. The Yellowstone franchise has already expanded significantly since the original series ended in 2024. Prequels 1883 and 1923 have been big hits, along with spin-offs Marshals and Dutton Ranch. A new generation of Duttons, ranch wars, and Sheridan-verse storytelling continues to captivate audiences, yet the specific McConaughey-led extension has stayed in development limbo.

McConaughey, 56, is currently promoting his crime thriller The Rivals of Amziah King, which opens in select theaters in the U.S. this Friday before a wider release later in the month. The actor has been balancing his time between big-screen blockbusters and the occasional foray into the Taylor Sheridan universe, but it appears the spin-off has simply not reached the point where it can be announced as a go.

For fans of the Yellowstone universe, the update is both intriguing and a little frustrating. Many have been eagerly awaiting the chance to see McConaughey step into one of the most iconic fictional worlds in modern television. The idea of a star as magnetic as McConaughey joining the Dutton legacy — perhaps in a role that blends Western grit with the modern-day conflicts that define Sheridan’s storytelling — has been met with excitement for years.

But as McConaughey himself has now made clear, nothing is set in stone. The conversations between him and Sheridan continue, but the project remains one of those rare Hollywood ideas that never quite makes it from the drawing board to the screen.

Whether we see McConaughey’s Duttons in the future or if the spin-off quietly fades into the realm of “what if” stories, one thing is certain: the actor has been refreshingly honest about where things stand. And right now, that honest answer is: nothing’s real yet.

The wait continues. And for now, fans will have to keep watching the skies — or, more accurately, keep checking in with Taylor Sheridan and Matthew McConaughey to see if the next Yellowstone chapter is finally about to land.