Yellowstone, Paramount’s hit modern-day Western, wrapped its fifth and final season in December 2024. But beyond the small screen, fans want more.
Enter: the Yellowstone fan edit, where fans expand its universe and fan base, through their own edits and skits. These videos, shared to platforms like YouTube and TikTok, often rack up millions of views, reflecting fans’ love and appetite for the Yellowstone universe.
Newsweek spoke to the creators of this popular content to find out more.
What Are ‘Yellowstone’ Fan Edits?
Yellowstone premiered in 2018 and lasted five seasons over six years, ending in 2024. The franchise now includes multiple prequels, including 1883, 1923, and 1944, all of which explore the Dutton family and their legacy.
The show has a wide and loyal fan base, and it has captured the hearts and imaginations of many viewers. That’s where the fan edits come in.
A fan edit is a version of a film or TV show created by a viewer, in which they create a new interpretation of the show, imagine future storylines, or pay homage to their favorite characters.
Many Yellowstone edits include footage of the show clipped together to music or fan-made trailers that imagine future seasons of the show.
What Is Attracting Creators to Making Fan Edits?
Ginni Vieira, @hardliquorwintellect on TikTok, told Newsweek that Yellowstone edits first inspired her to watch the show. She explained that she felt like “Inspiring more people in the same way that I was inspired.”
She said that she wanted to give the show “the attention it deserves,” and to make “more people know about it and start watching it!”
@hardliquorwintellect one thing i miss is their father & daughter funny dynamics with the man a man talks #yellowstone #yellowstonetv #bethdutton #johndutton #kellyreilly #kevincostner #funny #callmemaybe #carlyraejepsen #fatherdaughter ♬ Call me maybe sped – Speed Songs
“I really love to be the connecting point between the show and songs that match & translate what we are seeing or what the characters are feeling, sometimes even internally,” Vieira said.
When it comes to selecting scenes to edit or music to include, Vieira said, “It’s pretty spontaneous.”
“It happens either when I’m watching the show and I remember about a song that translates that moment, or when I’m listening to a song and what the singer is telling us in a song is what a character was feeling or went through.”
And it’s fulfilling, too.
“I really love to be the connecting point between the show and songs that match and translate what we are seeing or what the characters are feeling sometimes even internally,” Vieira said. “I also love to see the reaction of people liking my fan work.”
Madison Humphrey takes things a step further, acting out full skits as Yellowstone’s Beth Dutton on TikTok. Complete with costumes, makeup and a real Beth Dutton attitude, Humphrey’s videos have amassed millions of views on TikTok.
@madison.humphreyy This was highly requested haha #fyp #trending #yellowstonetv #yellowstone #comedy #relatable #acting #bethdutton #femaleboss #country #countryshow #femalead #yellowstonefans #couplecomedy ♬ Original sound – Madison Humphrey
Humphrey told Newsweek that she had been inspired to make these videos by her love for the show and noted that Beth Dutton is her favorite character.
“I write all of my own dialogue for my skits,” she told Newsweek. “I grew up in Texas, where we are surrounded by horses, ranches, cowboys, small town gossip, cattle and more.”
“The first video took off and did extremely well, so I have enjoyed developing my Beth Dutton skit character for people online,” Humphrey said. “I got more serious about the outfits, the makeup.”
In her most recent video, she used makeup to make a scar like Dutton has in the show.
And these videos require commitment. Humphrey said that she enjoys pushing herself as “an actor and creator to create entertaining content.”
“With these videos, I get to experiment with writing dialogue, costume, makeup and acting. The Beth Dutton skits definitely take the longest to film because of how many reshoots I do,” she said.
“I go into the skit with a whole script prepared, scene by scene, but I usually shoot each scene 3-4 times just to make sure I have plenty of options to choose from when editing. It’s a whole process, which makes me enjoy it even more because I feel like I am on my own little film set!”
How Is It Impacting the ‘Yellowstone’ Fan Base?
Not only do the fan edits provide a creative outlet for Yellowstone fanatics, but they also drum up more fans for the show.
Vieira told Newsweek that people will ask her what show she is editing and then say they want to watch Yellowstone because of her edit.
“It’s truly fulfilling as an editor and show lover,” she said.
Humphrey told Newsweek that she was “surprised by the initial reaction to my first Beth Dutton video.”
“The first video I really just did out of my personal love for the character, so I didn’t expect it to take off as much as it did,” she said.
But now? These videos are “some of my audience’s favorites.”
“I’ve come to expect the excitement around when I post one,” she said, “Which is so much fun for myself and my audience to bond over!”
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