Taylor Sheridan, the prolific writer and director behind hit series such as "Yellowstone" and "Tulsa King," is poised to leave Paramount, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. The move is expected to see him jump ship to NBCUniversal, with a film deal set to take effect next year. Although his TV contract with Paramount is not up until the end of 2028, Sheridan is anticipated to bring his portfolio of projects, including "Special Ops: Lioness" and "Mayor of Kingstown," over to NBCUniversal once his current deal expires.
Sheridan is a force to be reckoned with in the industry, having created the "Yellowstone" franchise (along with its spinoffs like "1923" and "1883") and the Sylvester Stallone-led "Tulsa King." His work has attracted A-list talent such as Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Sam Elliott, and Jeremy Renner, who have signed on for his other shows.
However, Sheridan's next film, an action-thriller titled "F.A.S.T.," is set up at Warner Bros. His expected rich deal with NBCUniversal, though he will have to create wholly new intellectual properties when he makes the jump in a few years' time. As is typical in these deals, Paramount owns the "Yellowstone" franchise and other franchises he has created for that company. Nevertheless, his programming has become a dramatic backbone of the Paramount+ streaming platform and will likely continue to be for years to come, given the numerous active projects he has in the works and the long timeframe before he joins NBCU for TV projects.
In a 2023 profile with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan famously stated, "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."
Paramount, now under CEO David Ellison, has made appealing to top talent a priority, inking long-term deals with "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and locking in other key talent and IP. Meanwhile, Daily Show host Jon Stewart recently revealed that he is in talks with Paramount about extending his time in the host chair for the Comedy Central late-night show.
NBCU, whose entertainment efforts are led by Donna Langley, has also forged a reputation as being talent-friendly, having poached talents like Christopher Nolan and Seth Rogen and inked deals with multihyphenates like Snoop Dogg. Sheridan and his 101 Studios are known for shooting in Texas and Montana, and in fact partnered with Paramount earlier this year to expand their footprint in Texas in a bid to boost production in the state.
