Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan has put an end to the previously announced ‘6666’ spinoff series, citing his respect for the real-life Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

In a recent interview with the Rodeo Time podcast, Sheridan explained that the fictionalized version of the ranch, which was set to be the backdrop for the series, was never going to happen.

“There’s never going to be one,” Sheridan said. “I would never fictionalize that ranch.”

When asked about the project, which was first announced in 2022, Sheridan clarified that the idea of a spinoff series based on the real-life ranch was never something he would have considered.

“People thought that that was going to be a thing, but I would never do that,” Sheridan emphasized.

The decision to shut down the project comes after fans of the show believed that a spinoff set in the real-life ranch was happening, following the character Jimmy Hurdstrom’s (played by Jefferson White) departure to the 6666 Ranch in Season 4.

Sheridan explained that he had even gone as far as pulling together scenes of Jimmy’s time at the 6666 Ranch and watching them as a standalone narrative, which he felt made for a compelling story.

However, he ultimately decided against pursuing the project due to his concerns about trivializing the real-life ranch and its working community.

“I’ve actually got on my computer all the scenes of Jimmy at the 6666 pulled out and strung together, and it makes its own perfect little movie,” Sheridan said.

“You watch him go there as this misfit, and leave as a man and a respected cowboy,” he added.

Sheridan, along with a group of investors, purchased the Four Sixes Ranch in 2020, and he has expressed a deep sense of responsibility and respect for the land and its people.

“So now I’m trivializing and fictionalizing something where real people work, and they raise their families there, and I could never do that to them,” Sheridan emphasized.

“I could never do that to the cowboys that dedicated themselves, and everybody that works on that ranch. I’m very protective of the Sixes, and it’s a big responsibility to be the person who has to protect that ranch, so I have to be very, very careful with it,” he added.

The 6666 spinoff was initially announced by Paramount in 2022, with a planned setting in the 19th century when Comanches still ruled West Texas.

The series was intended to be a fictionalized account of the real-life Four Sixes Ranch, which is steeped in the history of the American West.

Despite the cancellation of the 6666 spinoff, fans of the Yellowstone franchise can look forward to other stories set within the universe.

In 2021, the prequel series 1883 premiered, followed by 1923 in 2022, and Marshals earlier this year.

These series, along with other upcoming projects, will continue to explore the world and characters of Yellowstone, while maintaining the respect and authenticity that Taylor Sheridan is committed to.

Watch Sheridan’s full interview in the video below.