Yellowstone: The Dark Side of Taylor Sheridan’s Hit Series
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the criticisms leveled against Taylor Sheridan, based on the provided text. It can be categorized into three main areas:
1. the Kevin Costner Dispute & Working Practices:
* Conflicting Accounts: The departure of Kevin Costner from “Yellowstone” was messy and filled with accusations from both sides. Costner claimed scheduling conflicts with his passion project, “Horizon,” were the primary issue, but also felt Paramount was trying to alter his contract.
* Paramount’s Accusations: Paramount accused Costner of prioritizing his own film over ”Yellowstone.”
* Broken Communication: Both Costner and Sheridan claimed to have tried to resolve the situation directly, but their accounts differ. Costner felt Sheridan went back on his word.
* Lawyers & Blame: Once lawyers got involved, communication broke down and accusations flew. Sheridan denied being central to the problems.
* Control & Scheduling: Sheridan claims he doesn’t control the schedule or filming start dates, distancing himself from the logistical issues that contributed to the conflict.
2. Financial Practices & Potential Self-Dealing:
* inflated Budgets/Profiting from Production: Sheridan is accused of exploiting his position to personally profit from ”Yellowstone” and other productions.
* Ranch Rental: He reportedly charges $50,000 per week to film at his ranch.
* livestock Rental: He charges $25 for each cow featured in his shows.
* Awareness of the Benefit: Sheridan openly acknowledged the lucrative nature of these arrangements, stating it’s “the greatest deal going.”
* Questionable expenses: concerns were raised about bringing in crew (wranglers, farriers) from Texas to Montana instead of hiring locally.
* Defense of Expenses: The head of 101 Studios (david Glasser) defended the expenses, claiming a three-bid system and audits are in place, but this doesn’t address the ethical concerns of Sheridan profiting directly from the production.
3. Representation of Indigenous Narratives:
* The text starts to mention this, but is cut off before details are provided. It indicates Sheridan has faced criticism regarding how he portrays Indigenous stories and characters.
In essence, the text paints a picture of Sheridan as a highly successful, but potentially ethically questionable figure who wields notable power within the production system and may be prioritizing personal profit over other considerations.