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‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan To Direct ‘1883’ Pilot Episode

Paramount’s golden boy and “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan has been tasked with directing the pilot episode of “1883.” It’s only appropriate, considering he wrote all 10 episodes of the show’s first season, and he has some highly successful directorial efforts under his belt already.

The show is already shaping up to be a major hit for ViacomCBS. They’re the parent company of “Yellowstone” home, Paramount Plus. And a good thing too, considering Deadline just reported that each episode of “1883” has a $10 million price tag.

Putting Sheridan in charge of the “Yellowstone” prequel project is a major vote of confidence. Though, one would be hard-pressed to say he doesn’t deserve it. At the end of the day, both shows are his creation. On top of that, he’s proven himself in the director’s chair.

Sheridan is coming in hot off of the Angelina Jolie-led HBOMax streamer “Those Who Wish Me Dead.” According to Yahoo, Sheridan had a $20 million budget to work with. It’s no $100 million, as a full 10 episode season of “1883” would demand. But it’s nothing to scoff at.

Add to that the nine episodes of “Yellowstone” he’s credited on. And of course, don’t forget the 2017 Jeremy Renner vehicle “Wind River.” Sheridan is a more accomplished director than one might initially think.

Plus, Sheridan has quite the vision for “1883.” If executive producer and 101 Studios CEO David Glasser is to be believed, at least.

“Ask him a question about a character, he’ll take you back 10 or 30 years. That’s what happened here with ‘1883.’ Taylor was thinking about the story of the Duttons and their journey,” Glasser told Deadline.

How Taylor Sheridan Landed the Directing Job on ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’

Before “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” Sheridan’s directing credits were impressive, though humble for someone taking on a $100 million project. In fact, Sheridan was initially brought in to help rewrite the script for the movie. But according to the Associated Press, he wanted to get more involved.

“I said if I can get Angie to do this with me, I’ll direct it for you. They said, ‘Great. You’ll never get Angie,’” Sheridan said.

Well, he got Angie. And Warner Bros. was understandably impressed. It earned him a major directing job that undoubtedly reassured the folks at ViacomCBS when it came to the “1883” pilot.

‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan is Extremely Busy with Other Projects

Of course, Taylor Sheridan seems like a natural choice to direct “1883” in its entirety. But the reality of the matter is that he’s already juggling a ton of projects.

That’s not to say he’s incapable of pulling off the balancing act. But with how much money ViacomCBS has invested, hiring a director with five active projects could be risky.

One of the biggest impending projects Sheridan has on his plate is “Mayor of Kingstown.” It finds him reuniting with Jeremy Renner and is due out in November.