"If you want to call that a god complex.." - When Taylor Sheridan responded to accusations of overspending on Yellowstone

By Deepti Sequeira

Modified Jan 18, 2025 04:26 GMT

Taylor Sheridan as seen talking about Yellowstone in December 2021 (Image via Yellowstone)

Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of the neo-Western series Yellowstone with John Linson for Paramount+, also served as its director, writer, and executive producer from 2018 to 2024. During the fifth and final season, he faced allegations of overspending, with reports suggesting the show's success contributed to him developing a "god complex."

During his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published on June 21, 2023, Taylor Sheridan addressed these claims by stating his unwillingness to compromise on his vision for the series.

"I wouldn’t think that, no…What does ‘God complex’ mean? I’m very blunt with every single person — the production staff, the studio, the network. I said, 'Look, I invented this thing that I wrote down on paper and I’ve been entrusted to make it into a story that this network goes and sells. Your job is to try and get me there under budget.'"

Moreover, he justified THR's claims that shooting a single episode cost between $10 million to $15 million, by saying:

"My one rule with line producers and production people is: You don’t get to tell me ‘no,’ you get to tell me how much ‘yes’ costs, and then I decide where to pull that money from..... So if you want to call that a God complex, great."

Everything to know about Taylor Sheridan's alleged overspending on Yellowstone

An image from the Paramount+ series Yellowstone (Image via Instagram/@yellowstone)

On May 5, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that Taylor Sheridan's multitude shows cost Paramount close to $500 million a year to produce. Paramount and 101 Studios are the production studios behind Yellowstone and its prequel shows, 1883 and 1923.

As per the reporting, the staggering budget included the cost of renting his private properties, like his Texas ranch for $50,000 per week and cattle for $25 a head. It also alleged that Sheridan charged the studio $214,979.61 for a week-long 'cowboy camp' to train his actors on how to handle horses and portray the ranch life convincingly.

The total cost also included $2,000 for renting a horse and $33,000 for catering services. The report also mentioned that Sheridan asked the studio to foot the bill of $3,000 for a wrangler in Texas, who was looking after his horses.

Moreover, WSJ got their hands on internal messages from David Glasser, the head of 101 Studios, expressing his concerns over the excessive spending on Taylor Sheridan's shows.

However, a spokeswoman for Paramount denied any claims of overspending by telling WSJ that the company was thrilled to be associated with Sheridan.

"Taylor’s shows are among our most successful and profitable. If we could do three more partnerships with people as successful, creative and prolific as Taylor, we’d do it in a heartbeat."

Yellowstone featured Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Jefferson White, and Gil Birmingham, as its main cast members. The show's massive success paved the way for spinoff shows like 1883 starring Sam Elliott and 1923 starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. Both these shows were helmed by Sheridan.

Also Read: Kevin Costner’s exit from Yellowstone: A complete breakdown of events

Taylor Sheridan co-created Landman for Paramount+ in 2024

Taylor Sheridan's latest project Landman aired on Paramount+ from November 17, 2024, to January 12, 2025. The drama series is based on the chart-topping Boomtown podcast by Christian Wallace, who co-created the series with Sheridan.

Billy Bob Thornton stars as the show's protagonist Tommy Norris, a petroleum landman who works for the oil company M-Tex, owned by Monty Miller. Ali Larter, Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, Paulina Chavez, Kayla Wallace, Mark Collie, James Jordan, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm, others round out the show's supporting cast.

Landman received mixed to average reviews, with Thornton's performance earning praise and a Golden Globe Award nomination for 'Best Actor – Television Series Drama' in 2025.

Edited by Divya Singh