Crystal Wise
Taylor Sheridan
Taylor Sheridan — the creative force behind “Yellowstone,” its spinoffs, “Landman,” “Tulsa King,” and “Lioness” — might be leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal. Puck News reports that Sheridan has signed a nearly eight-year film deal with NBCUniversal, beginning in March 2026, and a five-year overall TV deal that will kick in when his Paramount contract ends in 2028. His production company, 101 Studios, is expected to move with him, meaning NBC and Peacock might become the exclusive home for his future projects.
Sheridan’s departure would be a major shake-up for Paramount. His shows have long been a cornerstone for the studio, topping Nielsen charts and attracting big-name talent — Sylvester Stallone, Zoe Saldaña, and Billy Bob Thornton among them. Yet sources tell Puck that the recent leadership shake-up after David Ellison’s acquisition, along with friction over budgets and prior deals, might have prompted Sheridan to consider other options.
Money — apparently — was not the primary factor. NBCUniversal, under Donna Langley — recently promoted to oversee both television and film — offered Sheridan creative freedom and prestige. Langley and her team might have convinced him with a sweeping deal covering all his output, allowing him to continue producing the high-stakes, Texas-rooted dramas that have defined his career and blocked Fort Worth’s streets for filming.
Before dominating television, Sheridan earned an Oscar nomination for his 2016 film “Hell or High Water,” showing he could merge regional storytelling with universal appeal. At NBCUniversal, he might find a home that treats him both as a filmmaker and a franchise creator, with platforms ready to showcase his work.
Paramount executives continue to publicly praise Sheridan. Ellison told CNBC in August:
“So, I have a really good relationship with Taylor, and I think he is literally a singular genius and content creator.”
Even after a comment like this, the studio reportedly made no move to extend his deal beyond 2028. Sheridan’s productions, often costly and shot on location in here in the Lone Star State, will remain with Paramount until his contract ends, with shows like “Tulsa King,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” and upcoming spinoffs such as “Dutton Ranch” and “Y: Marshals” still on the schedule.
If all goes according to plan, NBCUniversal might serve as the creative hub for Sheridan’s work over the next decade, letting him mix blockbuster storytelling with serialized television on his own terms. Paramount will retain the “Yellowstone” legacy, but the man who built it might be heading toward new horizons.
