The Yellowstone writer Taylor Sheridan’s superb screenplay helped the Paramount+ series become a hit.
The director, though, implied that the writers’ room probably wouldn’t be able to pull off such a feat.
The Oscar-nominated screenwriter told The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted to be the one to set the tone for his film, rather than the writers’ room.
“The freedom of the artist to create must be unfettered,” the 53-year-old went on to say.
“If they tell me, ‘You’re going to have to send a check for $540,000 to four individuals to sit in a room that you never have to meet,’ that’s between the studio and the guild. But if I had to run an idea by other people before putting it on TV, it would be the end of my TV storytelling career.
Read: ‘Yellowstone’ creator Taylor Sheridan is ‘disappointed’ by Kevin Costner’s sudden exit.
The Yellowstone showrunner noted that he initially desired an oversight role rather than taking the reins himself.
Unfortunately, this strategy never came to fruition. “[I assumed] I would write, cast, and direct the pilot episodes, and then we’d hire a showrunner to oversee the writing staff and I could provide feedback as needed. That strategy bombed,” Sheridan went on. “We did not anticipate certain developments.”
Sheridan wrote every single episode of the popular Western drama franchise, from the 1883 and 1923 prequels to the current show.
“How do you write ‘1883’ if you didn’t grow up in this [ranching] world and you’re not a history fanatic?” Asked Sheridan. Incredulous: “How does a room manage to pull that off?” Not at all.
Read: ‘Yellowstone’ prequel ‘1923,’ starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, is delayed due to a writer’s strike
FAQs
Q1. Is Yellowstone still on Netflix?
All of the most recent episodes of Yellowstone may be purchased on Amazon Prime (sadly, the program is not currently free to Prime members), but it is not yet accessible on Netflix or Hulu.
Q2. Is Season 5 Episode 2 of Yellowstone available?
With so many changes and with six episodes left in Season 5 of Yellowstone, there is still plenty to do. Originally scheduled to premiere this summer, Yellowstone: Season 5 Part 2 has been delayed until November 2023.
