It is an undeniable fact that Taylor Sheridan has gifted fans with some of the most cinematic Western experiences of all time, ones that would never cease to amuse their audiences. While his extraordinary directing and producing skills are one thing, he is also tremendously acknowledged for the beyond-exceptional plotlines he develops for his projects, as can be seen in his works.
That being said, this exact brilliant writing talent of his had actor Kevin Costner attracted to join his Western Yellowstone lore, as the John Dutton portrayer himself admitted in a candid turn of events. And Costner’s choice is only understandable enough, especially while considering why the showrunner’s three most top-rated movies of all time are as famous and fan-favorite as they are.
Kevin Costner was Understandably Attracted to Taylor Sheridan’s Writing
Although Costner has finally departed from the hit Western now, the real reason he originally joined it is nothing short of understandable. According to what the actor shared himself, the one thing that truly attracted him to join Yellowstone was the thoroughly genius script that the mastermind showrunner developed for it.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg, shared by Yellowstone on YouTube, the Dances with Wolves actor got candid about the same, saying:
Well, it just starts with the writing. I sound like a broken record, but that’s where it starts for me.
Undeniably enough, Costner was genuinely impressed with Sheridan’s writing which led to him saying yes to the show. This is understandable while considering the record Sheridan has set.
As fans already know, besides his outstanding performance as a director and showrunner, Taylor Sheridan has excelled even greatly with his writing works. The perfect examples to justify this are the three best top-rated movies from the mastermind, which include the likes of his projects from 2015, 2016, and 2017, all of which were released before the Dutton family saga.
First off is 2015’s Sicario. Needless to say, just the mere plotline for this epic mystery-crime-drama was so intense and widely commended that it scored a whopping 92% from the critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, along with an 85% audience score. Not to mention the multiple accolades Sheridan was nominated for for writing such an incredible screenplay.
Then there’s 2016’s Hell or High Water, which holds an even more impressive record, having been written by Sheridan himself. On Rotten Tomatoes alone, the Western action holds a tremendous 97% approval rating from critics as well as an 88% score from the audiences. Adding further stars to this is the Oscar nod Sheridan earned for Best Original Screenplay for the same.
Last but barely least, Wind River. A thriller-crime from 2017, this film holds a stunning 87% score from the critics at Rotten Tomatoes and an even more iconic 90% score from global audiences. Besides such a commendable critical reception, Sheridan also went home with one win and two nominations at the Cannes Film Festival that year, so this record further justifies it.
All of this being said, these three best-rated movies from the 54-year-old genius are the perfect explanation of why Costner joined the series primarily based on Sheridan’s written script for it.
Plus, there’s Luke Grimes himself who admitted that it was indeed Sheridan’s previous projects that had him saying yes to this Western series as well, so that’s that too.
Luke Grimes Said Yes to Yellowstone Because of Taylor Sheridan’s Previous Works
During the same interview, while Kevin Costner admitted that it was the script that had him sold, Grimes continued to share what had him instantly contemplating joining this superhit drama by Sheridan. He said:
You know, agent says there’s a script, it’s a Sheridan script. At that point, I’d seen ‘Sicario’ and ‘Hell or High Water’, and I liked them both a lot. And so I was immediately excited and already knew I’d probably like it.
That’s not all, for after reading the storyline that Sheridan had developed for it, Grimes was more impressed than ever before and was just praying to get the golden ticket to get into the series.
As he shared:
I obviously read this story and these characters and, you know, for me, especially Kayce, and I just kind of fell in love with all of it immediately. And, you know, I just made a tape and just started praying that I could be a part of it.
With all of this being said and the critical acclamation for Sheridan’s writing being acknowledged, it becomes only understandable and justified that the 54-year-old writer cum director’s best talent is indeed writing — the very thing that had Costner hooked to his Western saga.