Yellowstone is heavily inspired by 2 iconic Western Writers, details explored 

Taylor Sheridan's Paramount show Yellowstone has managed to revive the Western genre of television for a modern audience while inspiring a compelling new depiction of life on the frontier. For a show that has now become an inspiration itself, the question is, what inspired the creator, Taylor Sheridan, to create it in the first place?

Sheridan has managed to create a compelling hit following neo-Western stories with the fast-expanding Yellowstone franchise, and his inspirations behind creating this world were equally iconic. Sheridan discussed his inspirations behind the neo-western approach to storytelling in a 2022 conversation with Variety.

Keep reading to find out more.

Taylor Sheridan talks about his inspirations behind the hit Yellowstone universe

Taylor Sheridan, creator of the Yellowstone franchise, is a strong advocate for authenticity. Therefore, for him to create something in the Western genre and set it in the present times was natural owing to his childhood and the media he consumed. A Texas man, Sheridan, is a cowboy to his core. His 2021 induction into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is more than proof of that.

Sheridan had an exact vision of what he wanted in terms of the American Western themes in the Yellowstone franchise. The media he consumed also had a lot to contribute to his love and admiration for the genre. He revealed in his conversation with Variety that several iconic Western writers have contributed to his vision of the show, especially two iconic ones, namely Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy. Both authors are well-known for their depiction of life in the American West.

McMurtry was famous for his gritty depiction of Western life in books such as Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment, and The Last Picture Show, among others. Several of his works have been adapted into Award-winning TV shows or films. McCarthy is similarly famous for works such as No Country for Old Men and Blood Meridian. Much of McCarthy's work is known for its violence and bleak tones.

"I was very influenced by writers like Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, Toni Morrison, who wrote about the time around the Civil War, which is obviously very similar themes. There's a lot of Westerns about it. And in terms of the movies that influenced me, it was watching 'Unforgiven' when I was in my late teens or very early 20s. The same with 'Dances With Wolves,' where you're looking at the Western genre through a whole new lens that had never been explored before."

Another author who seemed to have inspired Sheridan's Yellowstone was Toni Morrison, who is mostly known for her heavy depiction of racial issues of the time. Nevertheless, talking about movies, Sheridan mentioned Unforgiven and Dances with Wolves as inspiration.

"Our job as artists is to hold a mirror up to the world and let people see the reflection, to teach them about a part of life and human experience that they may not be aware of. Whenever we’re ignorant of something, then typically we fear it, or we judge it, or we dislike it. And it’s the job of all artists, I think, to try and find these little pockets of the world and show some humanity.”

Sheridan's goal with the Yellowstone franchise was clear, and his inspirations for it have contributed to this immensely.

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