The Yellowstone universe continues to grow. Creator Taylor Sheridan has quietly launched production on a brand-new sequel series, Rio Palo, which has begun filming in Texas — and fans have just gotten their first look at the project’s teaser trailer.

Following the success of 1883, 1923, and 6666, this latest addition promises to expand Sheridan’s sprawling Western saga into uncharted territory — both geographically and thematically.

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What Does “Rio Palo” Mean?

The title Rio Palo translates to “stick river” in Spanish — a name packed with symbolic weight. Sheridan has long used rivers as metaphors in his storytelling, often representing fate, survival, or the passage of time.

This new chapter reportedly departs from the ranching focus of its predecessors, instead centering on a Western-era prison town. Early footage suggests a darker, grittier tone that fuses traditional frontier drama with moral tension and redemption arcs — staples of Sheridan’s work.

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Filming Locations and Production

Production has officially begun in Ferris, Texas, roughly 20 miles south of Dallas. According to local officials, the series is using a sprawling ranch property featuring a large mansion — believed to serve as a central setting in the show.

Additional filming is scheduled across Cleburne, Weatherford, Rio Vista, and Mineral Wells, taking advantage of Texas’s rugged landscape and old-world architecture.

Filming is expected to continue for roughly four months, with downtown Ferris already transformed for the show’s early sequences.

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Cast and Character Clues

While Paramount and Sheridan’s team remain tight-lipped, several key details have surfaced through casting calls and local sightings:

• Juan Pablo Raba (known for Narcos and Peppermint) has been confirmed in a supporting role.

• Production notes describe a central character named Dalton, connected to a group of teenage friends and a family caught in the show’s web of justice and vengeance.

• Children will appear as the families of imprisoned characters, hinting at emotional visitation storylines.

• Persistent rumors suggest Matthew McConaughey could finally make his long-anticipated debut in the Yellowstone universe — fitting, given the Texas backdrop.

In a surprising twist, reports also hint that Isabel May could reprise her role as Elsa Dutton from 1883 in flashback scenes, potentially exploring her past relationship with a Native American soldier.

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First Trailer & Tone

The newly released Rio Palo teaser offers only glimpses — silhouettes of prisoners, dust storms, and stark Texas horizons — but its tone is unmistakably Sheridan: poetic, brutal, and mythic.

A lone narrator intones, “Freedom is a lie men tell each other. Out here, every man pays his debt.”

Expect sprawling cinematography, morally gray heroes, and the kind of slow-burn tension that’s become the Yellowstone hallmark.