Harrison Ford entered the Yellowstone universe with the prequel series 1923. The acclaimed show from Taylor Sheridan also starred Helen Mirren and continued from the other prequel miniseries 1883. The shows have been chronicling the Dutton family, the owners of the Yellowstone Ranch shown in the series.
While Yellowstone star Kevin Costner and creator Taylor Sheridan seemed to be at odds, Ford reportedly got used to one unorthodox practice from Sheridan. The actor mentioned that he agreed to play the role without a script ready and that he would often have to figure out how the creator wanted the lines to be said.
Harrison Ford Agreed For Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Prequel Without A Script
Taylor Sheridan is one of the most successful writers and showrunners on TV at the moment. The former actor who transitioned to screenwriting is currently working on the final season of his neo-Western Yellowstone, the Sylvester Stallone starrer Tulsa King, Jeremy Renner’s Mayor of Kingstown, and Nicole Kidman’s Special Ops: Lioness.
Sheridan is one of the few showrunners who like to write the scripts of each episode themselves. The writer has been regarded as an anomaly in the TV business, where a showrunner usually hands over writing duties to a team of writers while they handle the other parts of the production.
Sheridan reportedly did not believe in multiple rewrites, changing dialogues, and giving scripts to actors he was still meeting. In fact, Harrison Ford, who starred in 1923, mentioned that he was initially at loggerheads with the practice of no rewrites but then eventually gave in. He said to THR,
I’m a guy who says, ‘If the words don’t fit my mouth, we’ve got to change the words’. Once in a while, we’d have an issue with that. But life doesn’t do rewrites. You get a shot at something, and that’s what happened. I really committed to saying Taylor’s words because it’s fun for me to puzzle it out.
Ford also mentioned that he did not receive a script when he first met Sheridan and he would only later find many things relatable to the character of Jacob Dutton.
Kevin Costner Walked Out Of Yellowstone Because No Scripts Arrived
The final season of Yellowstone seems to have a Kevin Costner-sized hole to fill as the prolific actor exited after multiple issues with the studio to work on his film Horizon: An American Saga. While much has been reported about his exit and his feud with Taylor Sheridan, Costner clarified his side of the story earlier this year.
Costner mentioned that he had given the producers time to work on the season but there was a significant delay in scripts, causing him to leave. Sheridan is one of the few showrunners who writes each episode by himself, which might have led to the delay. Costner said to Deadline,
I left my movie to be on time for them for 5B. I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me. It turns out they didn’t have the scripts for 5B. They needed four more days just to complete the first eight episodes. I left early to give them what they needed to have a complete eight, and I felt bad that the audience didn’t get 10.
The actor mentioned that he had committed to seven seasons but the studio then began changing their format and Sheridan too had to write a lot. He also mentioned that he would be willing to return if the writing was in place.
Yellowstone and 1923 is available to stream on Paramount+.
