‘Yellowstone’ Creator Threatens to Quit if Paramount Implements New Policy

Yellowstone Creator Threatens to Quit TV if Writers’ Rooms are Mandated

In the midst of an ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America, Taylor Sheridan, the writer, producer, and director of the hit series “Yellowstone,” has made a bold statement. He declared that he is willing to walk away from television if studios insist on implementing mandatory writers’ rooms as part of a deal to end the strike.

The strike, which began in early May, has left thousands of writers without work. The union is currently negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to address the writers’ demands for better pay, increased residual income from streamers, and a mandatory minimum number of writers for television studios.

However, Sheridan, who is known for his work in both film and television, including popular modern Western films like “Hell or High Water” and “Wind River,” as well as the “Sicario” franchise, is staunchly against the idea of mandatory writers’ rooms. As the creator and sole writer of “Yellowstone,” the most popular drama on television, he values the freedom to dictate every word in his scripts.

During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan expressed his support for the writers but made it clear that compromising on his creative freedom would be a deal-breaker for him. He stated, “The freedom of the artist to create must be unfettered.” He further emphasized, “If I have to check in creatively with others for a story I’ve wholly built in my brain, that would probably be the end of me telling TV stories.”

While some have accused Sheridan of taking on too many projects simultaneously, he remains focused on writing the final episodes of “Yellowstone.” Initially, it was reported that the show would have a six-episode finale, but Sheridan revealed that it might take him 10 episodes to give the series a proper sendoff, a decision fully supported by the studio.

As the negotiations between the writers’ union and the producers continue, the fate of “Yellowstone” and Sheridan’s TV career hangs in the balance. Will the studios concede to the writers’ demands, or will Sheridan follow through on his threat to quit if his creative freedom is compromised?

Only time will tell.