Yellowstone: Everything We Know About The 6666 Spinoff And The Real Four Sixes Ranch

Yellowstone: 6666 is the second spinoff of the hit Western crime/antihero drama on Paramount+. Set in the breathtaking mountains and valleys of Montana, Yellowstone chronicles the struggles between private ranch owners, Native American tribes, real estate developers, and anyone else laying a claim to the state’s pristine natural wilderness. After the conclusion of Yellowstone season 4, series creator Taylor Sheridan seems intent on further fleshing out his contemporary Western universe through a new upcoming series. While 1883, the first Yellowstone prequel, fleshes out the very roots of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch empire in Montana, Yellowstone: 6666 will reveal more about the infamous 6666 or Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

In Yellowstone season 2, episode 6, “Blood the Boy,” Yellowstone ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) pursues his dreams of being in the rodeo and gets a devastating injury. In Jimmy’s pursuit of glory, the defiant ranch hand goes against the wishes of his doctors and ranch boss John Dutton (Kevin Costner) by getting back on the saddle in Yellowstone season 3, episode 3, “An Acceptable Surrender,” – only to injure himself for a second time. In an effort to discipline Jimmy, John sends him off to the Four Sixes ranch to learn some essential cowboy skills. As Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) explains, the Four Sixes is practically “where cowboying was invented.” Confirming Rip’s words, Jimmy returns to the Dutton ranch in Yellowstone season 4, episode 10, “Grass on the Streets and Weeds on the Rooftops” as a new man. Impressed with Jimmy’s newfound horse-handling skills, John decides to clear Jimmy’s debts to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.

Yellowstone: 6666 is bound to reveal much more about what goes on at the notorious but highly respected Texas ranch. It’s currently unclear whether or not Yellowstone: 6666 will tell the story of the founding of the Four Sixes, or if it will be set in or around the same timeline as Yellowstone. However, given the potential for adding a rich extra dimension to the already intricately layered Yellowstone universe, it seems inevitable that Yellowstone: 6666 will be essential viewing for fans. Here’s everything that’s currently known about the second Yellowstone prequel.

When Will Yellowstone: 6666 Premiere On Paramount+?

Yellowstone: 6666 will likely be released sometime in 2022 or 2023. Taylor Sheridan and the rest of the Yellowstone crew will be resuming production in May 2021, which means that Yellowstone season 5 could be released as early as this fall. Currently, there haven’t been any official announcements yet from either Paramount+ or NBCUniversal’s Peacock regarding the release of Yellowstone: 6666. However, considering Sheridan’s busy schedule, fans might need to wait for a year or two more before the second prequel series gets released on either streaming platform. For now, viewers can enjoy the first Yellowstone prequel, 1883 season 1, as well as look forward to the highly anticipated Yellowstone season 5.

Who Will Star In Yellowstone: 6666 And What Will The Spinoff Be About?

Fans have theorized that Yellowstone Dutton Ranch hands Jimmy and Walker (Ryan Bingham) could appear in Yellowstone: 6666. This could very well happen if Yellowstone: 6666 is set in the same timeline as the original series, which could allow the spinoff to explore Jimmy’s experiences at the Four Sixes Ranch after he was sent there by John and Rip. Another possible addition to the cast of Yellowstone: 6666 are Four Sixes Ranch chief veterinary technician Emily (Kathryn Kelly), who is introduced as Jimmy’s fiancee in Yellowstone season 4, and elderly Four Sixes cowboy Ross (Barry Corbin). Moreover, Kevin Costner’s John Dutton could appear in Yellowstone: 6666 as well, especially if the spinoff further explores the connection between the Four Sixes and the Yellowstone Dutton ranches.

On the other hand, the spinoff could focus on the founding of the Four Sixes Ranch, similar to how 1883 explores the events before the founding of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. In this case, Yellowstone: 6666 will need an entirely new cast of characters, just like the first spinoff. In a February 2021 press release regarding Yellowstone: 6666, Paramount+ released these details: “Founded when Comanches still ruled West Texas, no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 is where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing.” The new Yellowstone spinoff, if it’s set in the 1800s, could potentially feature some of the characters in 1883, many of which are military veterans and cowboys who could conceivably be involved with the Four Sixes Ranch. Whether Yellowstone: 6666 will be set in the present or the near or distant past, it’s bound to further push the Western genre past its limits, congruent with Taylor Sheridan’s vision for his body of work.

The History Of The Real Four Sixes Ranch

The Four Sixes Ranch was founded back in 1900. It was established by Texas cattleman Samuel Burk Burnett, who, according to legend, won the ranch in a card game using a hand of four sixes. In reality, the name comes from the first 100 head of cattle that Samuel Burk Burnett purchased in 1870, all of which had the “6666” brand. At the time, folks like 1883‘s James Dutton (Tim McGraw), who was a Confederate soldier, and General Meade (Tom Hanks), who fought for the Union, were fresh from fighting in the American Civil War. After the dust from the war had settled, opportunities abounded for those with the means to grab them, and Samuel Burk Burnett took those opportunities to develop a ranch that has built a reputation for superior workhorses, racehorses, and Angus cattle.

Burnett’s great-great-granddaughter Anne Burnett Marion died on February 2020, which led to the Four Sixes Ranch being listed on the market for $347.7 million. In May 2021, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan purchased the ranch, likely in preparation for Yellowstone: 6666. The entirety of the Four Sixes Ranch is about 260,000 acres in size, comprised of the 6666 Ranch’s 142,372 acres, the Dixon Creek Ranch’s 114,455 acres, and the Frisco Creek Ranch’s 9,428 acres. Considering all the possibilities for Yellowstone: 6666, Sheridan’s exit from Sons of Anarchy might have been the right decision for the director. As Sheridan can now focus on fleshing out the Yellowstone universe, whether it’s in the past, present, or future, Yellowstone: 6666 could be even better than either the original Yellowstone or the first spinoff, 1883.