Though more Yellowstone stories are always exciting, I’d much rather see Taylor Sheridan go back to a trend he left behind in 2021 instead. Since the ending of Yellowstone, many Taylor Sheridan fans have been wondering what’s next for the writer and director. Though the main show has reached its conclusion, Sheridan also has several other Yellowstone spinoffs in the works, and the story of the Dutton family’s control over the largest ranch in Montana is far from over. More Yellowstone stories are exciting, but I think Sheridan’s talents would be put to better use by writing movies.

Long before he started making shows, Taylor Sheridan made a name for himself by writing some acclaimed movies. Beginning with 2014’s Sicario, Sheridan wrote some absolutely tremendous films. Hell or High Water and Wind River, for example, are two of the best neo-Westerns ever made, and the rest of his work is just as impressive. Despite making such a huge name for himself as a writer of movies, Sheridan hasn’t written a film in four years. That’s far too long to go without Sheridan’s impeccable movies, and I think he needs to make another film more than he needs to continue the story of Yellowstone.

Taylor Sheridan Hasn’t Made A Movie In 4 Years

Sheridan’s Last Film, Those Who Wish Me ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, Came Out In 2021

Ever since 2021’s Those Who Wish Me ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, Taylor Sheridan hasn’t written or directed a feature-length film. He did produce Finestkind in 2023, but since he wasn’t in the writers’ room, it wasn’t truly a Taylor Sheridan movie. Instead, Sheridan has focused almost exclusively on television. In the four years since Those Who Wish Me ᴅᴇᴀᴅ‘s release, Sheridan has written and created 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness, Landman, 1923, and two seasons of Yellowstone. While those shows are all superb, it’s still a shame that Sheridan has paused his movie efforts, given how good his past work is.

Taylor Sheridan’s Movies Are Some Of His Very Best Projects

Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River, & More Are All Fantastic & Better Than Some Of Sheridan’s Shows

One of the main reasons I and many other Taylor Sheridan fans want to see him write another movie is because he’s fantastic at it. Some of Sheridan’s movies are among his best work, period. Hell or High Water, Wind River, and Sicario, for example, are all tremendous films, and they’re arguably better than shows like 1883 or Lioness. Even his less acclaimed movies – like Those Who Wish Me ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and Without Remorse – are still enjoyable and honestly underrated. Sheridan’s movies basically have every good thing his shows do, they just condense it all down to a two-hour runtime.

A big reason Sheridan’s movies are so good is because the format of film is perfectly suited to his style of writing. Sheridan is an incredibly concise, efficient, and smart writer, and his films make that abundantly clear. The only place he sometimes flounders is in the middle, which is only really noticeable in his TV shows. The middle of Wind River may drag for twenty minutes or so, but the middle of a season of Yellowstone lasts several hours. Sheridan’s movies highlight his strengths and mask his few weaknesses, and he needs to have another tremendous film outing.

What Does Taylor Sheridan Have Upcoming?

Sheridan’s Future Is Mostly Filled With Shows, But One Project Could Be His Next Movie

Unfortunately for fans of Taylor Sheridan’s movies, the writer doesn’t have many upcoming projects that could be movies. Sheridan is working on a host of Yellowstone spinoffs like The Madison, Beth and Rip’s spinoff, and Jimmy’s 6666 show. On top of that, Sheridan is also writing new seasons of returning shows like Mayor of Kingstown and potentially Lioness and Landman, though the latter two aren’t yet confirmed. For the most part, Sheridan’s focus on television over film seems like it will continue in the coming years. One project, however, provides a glimmer of hope for movie fans.

Taylor Sheridan is adapting Empire of the Summer Moon, a historical book about Chief Quanah Parker of the Comanche Nation. It’s still very early in pre-production, but Empire of the Summer Moon is the only one of Sheridan’s projects that has a chance of being a feature-length film. There is, however, a good chance Empire of the Summer Moon will be made as a series, as the book it’s based on covers 40 years of Parker’s life, which may simply be too much material for a movie. Hopefully Taylor Sheridan will find a way to squeeze a new movie in between his upcoming Yellowstone spinoffs.