Taylor Sheridan Quits Paramount: What Does It Mean For Yellowstone Franchise?
Taylor Sheridan, whose remarkable works have pretty much served as a dramatic backbone for Paramount, is all set to jump ships. As it turns out, the 55-year-old mastermind behind smash-hit franchises like Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and his all-time best Sicario saga has decided to quit the studios to join forces with NBCUniversal instead.
This was first reported by Puck News and later confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter as well. The prolific writer has reportedly signed a new mega-deal with Universal to develop movies and television shows for the studio, the same way he had been doing for Paramount all along. His tenure with this new studio will begin with a film deal that will go into effect next year.
As for his TV deal with Paramount, it is not up until the end of 2028, but Sheridan is expected to bring that over to NBCUniversal when it ends. His next film, though, is the action-thriller F.A.S.T., which is set up at Warner Bros. However, that raises one major concerning question: What does this move from the writer-director mean for the Yellowstone saga?
Paramount Owns Yellowstone and Other Taylor Sheridan Franchises
Taylor Sheridan’s newest deal with NBCUniversal is expected to be a rich one, for sure. However, he will have to create a wholly new IP when he finally makes that jump from Paramount to NBCU in a few years’ time. This is because, as is typical in these deals, Paramount owns Yellowstone and other franchises that Sheridan has created for that company over the last decade (per The Hollywood Reporter).
His programming, arguably enough, has become a dramatic backbone of the streaming platform Paramount+. Plus, it will likely continue to be so for many more years to come, considering just how many active projects Sheridan has, including fan-favorite pieces like Special Ops: Lioness and Mayor of Kingstown – not to mention the long timeframe before he finally joins NBCU for the next TV projects in his lucrative career.
Comparing the two, Paramount, on the one hand, has made appealing to top talent a priority, now under CEO David Ellison. NBCUniversal, on the other hand, has forged a reputation for being talent-friendly under the creative entertainment efforts being led by Donna Langley, with the newest talent for the company to have poached being Sheridan himself. It remains to be seen just how Sheridan’s works will look for this new company.
Meanwhile, take a look at the projects he has curated with Paramount:
| Title | Release Year | Tomatometer (RT) | Popcorn Meter (RT) | IMDb Rating | Streaming Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone | 2018 | 83% | 76% | 8.6 / 10 | Paramount Network / Peacock |
| 1883 | 2021 | 89% | 78% | 8.7 / 10 | Paramount+ |
| Mayor of Kingstown | 2021 | 53% | 81% | 8.1/10 | Paramount+ |
| 1923 | 2022 | 94% | 53% | 8.3 / 10 | Paramount+ |
| Tulsa King | 2022 | 88% | 76% | 7.9 / 10 | Paramount+ |
| Special Ops: Lioness | 2023 | 73% | 74% | 7.8 / 10 | Paramount+ |
| Lawmen: Bass Reeves | 2023 | 79% | 93% | 7.3/10 | Paramount+ |
| Landman | 2024 | 78% | 64% | 8.2 / 10 | Paramount+ |
| Without Remorse | 2021 | 45% | 42% | 5.8 / 10 | Amazon Prime Video |
| Finestkind | 2023 | 28% | 59% | 6.1 / 10 | Amazon Prime Video / Paramount+ |
Taylor Sheridan Has Maintained That He Would Never Compromise With His Works
One fact that should calm fans down about Taylor Sheridan’s new deal with NBCUniversal and what might come with it is that the writer-director has constantly maintained over the years that “there is no compromising” when it comes to his projects.
This is because Sheridan, who originally started off as an actor, has finally realized that he has already spent “the first 37 years of my life compromising,” and doesn’t want to trek on that path anymore. Instead, now it’s more like ‘take it or leave it’ when it comes to the projects he pitches, leaving no room for him to make any kind of compromises with his pieces.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2023, he candidly talked about the same, sharing,
I spent the first 37 years of my life compromising. When I quit acting, I decided that I am going to tell my stories my way, period. If you don’t want me to tell them, fine. Give them back and I’ll find someone who does — or I won’t, and then I’ll read them in some freaking dinner theater. But I won’t compromise. There is no compromising.
That said, fans must rest assured that whatever projects Taylor Sheridan will be working on with NBCU, he won’t be making any compromises with respect to his vision for his stories. And if that’s the case, then it sounds like many more remarkable pieces from the SheridanVerse will soon make their way to the screens! Aren’t you excited?