Is Taylor Sheridan Pausing ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Due to Writers Strike?
Paramount’s Yellowstone is one of the biggest hits for the network, and it couldn’t exist without Taylor Sheridan. Sheridan’s made a name for himself with the modern Western, and his Yellowstone universe has captured fans for years. Unfortunately, some fans are worried that the Writers Guild of America strike may impact Sheridan’s series. Is he pausing the show due to the strike? Here’s what to know.
Is Taylor Sheridan pausing ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 over the Writers Guild of America strike?
Is Taylor Sheridan pausing Yellowstone or his other shows in the works due to the Writers Guild of America strike? So far, it’s unclear what Sheridan’s stance is on the matter. He hasn’t publicly spoken out on the issue as of May 10, 2023. With that in mind, it seems unlikely that he’s pausing screenwriting for his hit series or any of his other shows in the works.
Sheridan could have a massive effect on the strike. He’s one of Paramount’s most lucrative screenwriters, and his pausing the creation of his shows could have a massive effect on the network. Some fans on Reddit doubt Sheridan will stop writing altogether, though others on his team may follow the strike.
“Shows and films that have scripts already written don’t have to go on hold,” a fan on Reddit explained. “House of the Dragon is continuing with filming. Late-night shows and SNL have to stop because their script writing is usually done day or week of. Now, will writers working on Sheridan productions stop? Probably so, because they are all likely WGA members. Will Sheridan himself stop writing anything he is working on? Probably not.”
Other fans think Sheridan ignoring the strike will reflect badly on him.
“Of course, he’s wealthy enough to forego the WGA insurance and he doesn’t need their collective bargaining agreement since he can negotiate outlandishly higher, but it would be a bad look,” another fan wrote. “Especially for someone who portrays himself as a man of the people. Any episodes already written/delivered by 11:59 PT May 1 are fine to shoot. As a must-hyphenate, he is allowed to direct/produce so long as the script file itself is not altered.”
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 will allegedly return in November 2023
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone will end after season 5 is complete, and fans are eager to see part 2. The final episodes of the series will reportedly air in November 2023. With this in mind, it seems unlikely that the strike is affecting Sheridan’s work.
There’s still plenty of drama surrounding Yellowstone with or without the strike. Kevin Costner may not return for the second half of season 5, according to rumors. The star was rumored to not want to spend much time on set finishing the season, and he also had an alleged feud with Sheridan. The feud was allegedly over Sheridan’s “god complex” and not listening to Costner’s creative ideas.
What shows have suffered from the writer’s strike so far?
The Writers Guild of America strike may not affect Taylor Sheridan or Yellowstone. But it’s already affected the production of many other beloved TV shows.
NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and Saturday Night Live Season 48; CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert; ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!; and HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and Real Time With Bill Maher were immediately cut off.
The Duffer brothers also halted production on Stranger Things Season 5. Other shows affected include Hacks, Abbott Elementary, Yellowjackets, Cobra Kai, The Handmaid’s Tale, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, and Star Wars: Andor.
Elements of this story were first reported by the New York Post and NBC News.
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