Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Could Massively Impact The Writers Strike — And Every Eye In Hollywood Is On Him

There is arguably not a more powerful writer in Hollywood than Taylor Sheridan. His "Yellowstone" franchise is a streaming sensation, one that drives subscribers to Paramount+, even though the flagship series starring Kevin Costner airs on the NBCUniversal-owned Peacock. Sheridan also shields himself from executive interference by being a one-man-band. He writes every episode of every spin-off series and he does not work with a room. Basically, "Yellowstone" doesn't go before cameras until Sheridan turns in his scripts.

When the Writers Guild of America went on strike last week, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) believed they could spin entertainment consumers into viewing writers as entitled, money-grubbing drags on an otherwise thriving industry. Thus far, this messaging is falling disastrously flat. How can it not? Executives are receiving record compensation while up-and-coming writers are forced into low-paying mini-rooms for shows that may never go to air.

The WGA has scored big victories early in what may be a prolonged campaign. Most notably, the Duffer Brothers announced they would not begin shooting the final season of their Netflix juggernaut "Stranger Things" until the writers' demands are met. But the union could land a haymaker if Sheridan closes up his solo shop, which would further cripple Paramount+, a struggling streamer that posted a $575 million loss last February.

What is Sheridan thinking? Everyone in Hollywood is desperate to know.

Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" franchise has often been painted as "red state" shows, but he's loudly refuted this. Still, the false perception lingers, which has led folks on both sides of the WGA/AMPTP dispute to wonder where the wildly popular storyteller's labor allegiances lie.

Sheridan has yet to voice his support for the strike, but this could be due to the extremely awkward situation that exists between Paramount and Kevin Costner. "Yellowstone" is on the cusp of completing its final, bifurcated fifth season, which should be a ratings-soaring victory lap. Alas, the studio has yet to lock down the participation of the show's mercurial star, and he's playing some serious Crash Davis hardball.

This is the rare negotiation where Sheridan might lack leverage. For starters, the Academy Award-winning Costner wants input into how his character, John Dutton, exits Sheridan's saga. According to Matthew Belloni, the star also wants to wrap up his involvement swiftly. This means Sheridan almost certainly didn't finish the scripts for the back half of season 5 prior to the strike. For a season that was initially scheduled to begin airing its episodes in June, this is not ideal.

Given Sheridan's prolificness, it's possible that he wrote out every possible narrative outcome in advance of Costner's deal. But if he didn't, would he scab to keep his ever-expanding franchise on track?

Taylor Sheridan's maverick reputation (largely based on his eschewal of Hollywood, as he lives on a ranch in Fort Worth, Texas) is fueling this hopefully unwarranted speculation. The anxiety is understandable. Struggling writers slugging it out for $50,000 a year in Los Angeles need the folks at the top of the food chain to make life uncomfortable for their paymasters. If Sheridan were to announce he's not writing another word until the strike is over, Paramount would beg the AMPTP to bend the knee. They're desperate to start production on the new "Yellowstone" series starring Matthew McConaughey.

I've talked to people who believe Sheridan could single-handedly end the strike. This is probably wishful thinking, but there is no doubt that a "Yellowstone" stoppage would bring the AMPTP back to the table. It might be unfair to throw the onus on Sheridan, but this is the state of play in Hollywood 2023.