Hollywood's Busiest Writer, Taylor Sheridan, Is Apparently Leaving Paramount For A Big Deal At Universal
This is an interesting read but the long and short of it is this: Taylor Sheridan has decided to leave Paramount at the end of his current deal in favor of a massive contract with NBCUniversal.
Sheridan's name might not immediately ring a bell but I can almost guarantee you've seen some of his work before. He started out playing a cop on 'Sons of Anarchy' before writing what is now known as The Frontier Trilogy. That includes 'Sicario', 'Hell or High Water', and 'Wind River'. 3 of my favorite movies of the last decade.
After that, he essentially became the engine of Paramount+ original programming. He created 'Yellowstone', '1883', 'Mayor of Kingstown', '1923', 'Tulsa King', 'Lawmen: Bass Reeves', 'Lioness', 'Landman' and has 'Y: Marshalls’ debuting next year. That's basically their entire slate. He clearly had a pretty great relationship with them but that has changed over the last few months.
In august, Paramount merged with Skydance, a successful production company run by Oracle Co-Founder Larry Ellison's son, David. Sheridan allegedly has had the following issues with Ellison and their new streaming chief:
1. They canned the producers he had been working with closely at Paramount.
2. They don't like how expensive Sheridan's shows are or that they shoot on location
3. They bought a new series starring Nicole Kidman, which complicates her schedule with Sheridan's current series that stars her.
4. They tried to secure distribution for his upcoming movie, which is being made at WB, in other markets.
All reasonable things to be pissed off about. Especially considering how incredibly important Sheridan is to their original programming. So what will be different at NBCUniversal for him? His shows will stay at Paramount but he will presumably get a lot more autonomy and consideration for his big screen projects.
Personally, I like the TV he has made. Every time he makes a new show, I think "THIS is the point where he is going to be stretched too thin and the show will suck." And, every time, the series works. That's how good he is. All of that said, I would trade all the TV he has made for a new frontier trilogy in an instant. And, while the TV hasn't suffered, his movies clearly have. 'Those Who Wish Me Dead' was a bore, and 'Without Remorse' wasn't great either. This new movie he has slated for 2027, 'F.A.S.T.', seems interesting enough.
"A former U.S. special forces officer is recruited by the government's Drug Enforcement Agency to take down drug dealers who are protected by the CIA."
Yea that sounds like Sheridan alright.