Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan accused of stealing hit series idea in copyright lawsuit
Yellowstone made Taylor Sheridan one of the most important people in television, but writer Lauren J. Salkin has accused him of stealing the idea from her.
Salkin filed a lawsuit alleging she pitched a Western drama called Sovereign Nation to Sheridan’s management company, Elevate Entertainment, in 2016, only to be told Sheridan was “unavailable for TV projects”, according to court documents seen by Variety.
Sheridan’s first series, Yellowstone, premiered in 2018. David Becker
The suit, filed yesterday in California, claimed that Yellowstone was greenlit “within months” of her rejection. The series premiered in 2018 and became one of TV’s biggest hits, spawning an entire universe of spin-offs.
“Sheridan, however, was not ‘unavailable for TV projects,’ ” the suit read. “Instead, he and others used Salkin’s copyrighted works to develop Yellowstone.”
Salkin alleged “specific expressive choices” in Yellowstone were lifted from her Sovereign Nation pitch, and that actors she had suggested for the series, Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham, were later cast in Sheridan’s show.
TMZ reported that Salkin’s filing was seeking an injunction to prevent continuing and future infringements, as well as unspecified damages including profits from Yellowstone.
Nine.com.au has contacted Sheridan’s representatives at Elevate Entertainment, plus NBCUniversal and Paramount for comment.
Yellowstone aired for five seasons from 2018 to 2024.
It starred Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Luke Grimes and Wes Bentley, among others.
The series became one of the most watched scripted shows in the world.
It has inspired several successful prequels and spin-offs, including Dutton Ranch, Marshals, 1883 and 1923.
Another spin-off, 6666, was believed to be in the works, but Sheridan confirmed the highly anticipated series was just a rumour.
Kevin Costner played the lead, John Dutton, in Yellowstone. Stan
“There’s never going to be one; I would never fictionalise that ranch,” Sheridan said when asked about the series.
While the Yellowstone ranch was fictionalised, the 6666 Ranch is a historic working cattle and horse ranch in West Texas, founded in 1870.
