It looks like Bravo is developing a new edition of the “Real Housewives” franchise in a brand new location.
According to recent reports from Cosmopolitan and others, the producers are working on “The Real Housewives of Montana,” with the potential new series focusing on wealthy women living in Gallatin County. The team behind “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is seemingly at the stage where they are searching for potential cast members, with a “Yellowstone” flavor rather than the standard urban setting.
There has been no official confirmation from Bravo about the potential new show. However, that isn’t surprising given that the reports indicate that the casting stage is still at an early stage.
‘Real Housewives of Montana’ Could Film at Exclusive Yellowstone Club
According to The Sun, the producers behind the show are keen to focus on Gallatin County, an affluent area of Montana that has one of the highest medium incomes in the state. It includes the city of Bozeman and Big Sky, an upscale unincorporated community that features a ski resort. The region is also close to Yellowstone National Park.
One of the biggest draws for the show is that it could allow the series to explore a different type of personality and environment. While there are many wealthy families that are considered to come from old money, there is a growing population of well-off people moving to the area from other states.
The reports also suggest that the behind-the-scenes team are keen to use filming locations such as the Yellowstone Club, which describes itself as an “exclusive private, members-only ski, golf, and adventure community” that is near Big Sky.
There’s also the obvious connection to the enormously successful “Yellowstone” television franchise, which could give Bravo a marketing edge when it comes to promoting the series and bringing in a new audience.
Producers Want a Real Group of Friends for the Show
The reports also indicate that the team is looking to cast a genuine group of friends rather than throw people who don’t necessarily know each other together. Although, there is also scope for a potential clash between the original residents of the area and those who have recently made the move to Gallatin County.
“They want a real, authentic friend group that already has a deep history with each other,” a source told The Sun.
By casting an authentic group of friends with a shared history, the hope is that it could provide the relationships, rivalries, and unresolved disagreements necessary to create a lasting fresh entry in the “Real Housewives” franchise. The same source told The Sun that filming could begin in early 2027 if the casting process goes well.
Andy Cohen Previously Said Bravo Looks for ‘Aspirational’ Cities
The “Real Housewives” property has grown significantly in recent years and there are now a dozen different versions of the show that film across the United States and even at other global locations.
Bravo host Andy Cohen has previously explained what the producers look for when trying to cast new entries in the series.
“We’ve cast in some cities that we haven’t wound up pursuing,” Cohen previously said, naming Chicago, San Francisco, Houston and Greenwich, Connecticut among those cities that didn’t work out.
He also explained that the team looks for “aspirational” cities that have their own unique identities, ensuring that each version of the show has its own look and feel.
