Taylor Sheridan has made a massive name in television after making Yellowstone for Paramount Network. The neo-Western series starring Kevin Costner has been running for five seasons with numerous spin-offs attached to it. It is commendable that most of the Yellowstone content is written by Sheridan himself. However, his approach was a bit different initially.
Taylor Sheridan did not think about writing most of the series himself from the start. Initially, he wanted to borrow the style of the Arrowverse co-creator Greg Berlanti. Unfortunately, the concept of a writer’s room did not work for Sheridan and he took on the task of telling the tales to the audience the way he wanted.
Why did Taylor Sheridan’s plan for a writer’s room for Yellowstone fail?
The presently defunct- Arrowverse was one of the biggest things in television. Although it did not end on a very good note, the DC television universe by CW, co-created by Greg Berlanti, made a massive name. When Taylor Sheridan first thought about the Kevin Costner show, he also planned to write, cast, and direct the pilots, before handing the remainder of the shows to showrunners.
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor Sheridan stated his initial plans to implement writer’s rooms for his Yellowstone universe which eventually failed.
“The plan was I would Greg Berlanti it. I would write, cast and direct the pilots, and then we would bring in someone as a showrunner to run a writers room and I could check in and guide them. That plan failed. There were some things that none of us foresaw.”
Taylor Sheridan explained that his approach to the story of Yellowstone is different from other recent shows. He is of the notion that the plot of his series is driven by the characters. He is “interested in the dirty of the relationships in literally every scene” and would not like it if the writer’s room did not have similar thoughts for his series.
“But when you hire a room that may not be motivated by those same qualities — and a writer always wants to take ownership of something they’re writing — and I give this directive and they’re not feeling it, then they’re going to come up with their own qualities. So for me, writers rooms, they haven’t worked.”
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Further the 54-year-old Sons of Anarchy actor made it clear that he has compromised for a long time during his early days in the industry. While transitioning to his career behind the camera, Sheridan decided that he was going to tell his stories his way. While not many people may agree with his approach, he made sure to elevate Yellowstone to a critically acclaimed series.
Will Michelle Pfeiffer lead a Yellowstone spin-off?
Currently, there have been two spin-offs of Yellowstone titled 1883 and 1923. There are more spin-offs planned to progress the Western series. The Interstellar star Matthew McConaughey was also roped in to lead such a spin-off. However, a source said to National Enquirer (via The News) that he might be replaced with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania actress Michelle Pfeiffer.
Reportedly, Matthew McConaughey has not inked a deal yet and his stalling impacts the makers. This can lead to Pfeiffer playing a big role in a potential spin-off that will drive the franchise to a distinct route.
“Michelle is primed for big, big things and the mood is the franchise will go a different route and embrace girl power and move with the times.”
Moreover, McConaughey’s stunning salary demand of $2.5 million per episode has also raised the eyebrows of the makers. It leaves his future in the dark. On the other hand, it will be also interesting to see if Costner returns in Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2.
Earlier he did not want to be in the concluding part of the series due to scheduling conflicts. However, now he wants to return to the final chapter of the main series. The news asserted that even if Kevin Costner reprises his role of John Dutton III, it will be a cameo at best.
Yellowstone can be streamed on Peacock Premium with the last season scheduled for November 10, 2024.