'Yellowstone' Co-Creator Taylor Sheridan to Write & Direct Feature Film Adaptation of 'Empire of the Summer Moon'

by Darian Scalamoni

    Taylor Sheridan is a name that has been associated mostly with building the foundational content across Paramount since Yellowstone's inception back in 2018. Though he does have minimal experience within feature filmmaking, it appears he's prepping for a move to a high-profile adaptation along with his production company, Bosque Ranch. Deadline's exclusive report details that Sheridan will be writing and directing Empire of the Summer Moon, a S.C. Gwynne book which chronicles the rise and fall of the Comanche's and focuses on a particular Comanche warrior by the name of Quanah Parker.

    When Sheridan was at Warner Bros., his passion for the source material that breaks down a comprehensive history of the long-standing turmoil between the Comanche tribe and white settlers to control the American West, as the center of the source material revolves around Quanah, who is regarded as the Comanche's greatest chief. It's obvious in Sheridan's work with Paramount through series such as Yellowstone, 1883, 1923 and Lawmen: Bass Reeves that Sheridan has a real attachment to telling these historical, epic tales and it makes sense that he'd want to tackle something in the vein of Empire of the Summer Moon for his next project. Sheridan even has bought particular historical relics to display within his sprawling ranch, the Four Sixes, and purchased Quanah's lance which currently resides in a nearby museum, so he has true admiration and respect for the ancestral connection that comes with material as important as this.

    "I can't think of anyone better qualified to bring Empire of the Summer Moon to the screen than Taylor Sheridan. He has a deep and nuanced understanding of both the myth and reality of the Old West. I am thrilled that he is undertaking this project." Those are the words of the author, S.C. Gwynne speaking to his excitement of Sheridan heading the film.

    Sheridan's most recent series for Paramount+ was Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which starred David Oyelowo as the black outlaw. Oyelowo has earned major praise for his portrayal earning nominations across the Emmy's, Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards. Sheridan's Michigan-set drama series Mayor of Kingstown recently started production on their third season and is Jeremy Renner's return to acting after his devastating snowplow accident last year. He's also working on new seasons of 1923 and Yellowstone at the present time. Sheridan is a true workaholic in the pure definition of the word.

    Empire of the Summer Moon looks to continue the heightened storytelling that is coming from Indigenous communities. Though Sheridan has been exploring those types of stories for the better part of five years, we've also seen television series such as Reservation Dogs and Marvel's new series, Echo touch upon Native stories. Additionally, Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon is expected to garner numerous Oscar nominations, and potentially even some wins for talent such as Lily Gladstone. I hope to see Sheridan utilize some other great native talent within this film such as Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Tatanka Means, Cara Jade Myers and D'Pharoah Woon-A-Tai.