Yellowstone director Taylor Sheridan is slated to work on a new project that would adapt S.C. Gwynne’s book to the screen. Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History was published in 2010.
Sheridan won after a rigorous bidding. As one of his so-called passion projects, the filmmaker has been eyeing to work on this since Warner Bros. gained the rights to it.
Native American Actress Doesn’t Support Taylor Sheridan’s Upcoming Project
While others expressed excitement, Native American and Echo actress Jana Schmieding was doubtful and unimpressed. She told Yahoo Entertainment:
“I rolled my eyes so hard, they almost popped out of my face. It’s laughable that he continues to think that he’s the right person for this job. He shoots on his own ranch. And he uses his own horses. You know, he’s really making a dime off of our stories.”
This is not Taylor Sheridan’s first rodeo in working with Native American narratives. Wind River starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen tackled the murder of Indigenous women. The Reservation Dogs star also wondered:
“Why are we letting this happen when [Native people] have so little opportunity in the industry still, and the shows that we have had are critically acclaimed, but they don’t get the kind of attention that his shows get?”
The actress-comedian remarked that Native Americans don’t get the same treatment and platform when they tell their stories. She ranted, “We do not make the same amount of money that he makes,” before adding, “It’s problematic on so many levels.”
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Meanwhile, the great-great-grandson of Quanah Parker, Nocona Burgess, was also annoyed at the report of the upcoming epic. His first reactions? “Ugh” and “Here we go again.” His family members informed him that Sheridan managed to buy the rights to the project, with Burgess quipping, “From who? It’s our story.”
Empire of the Summer Moon Author Entrusts Book Adaptation To Taylor Sheridan
Despite the negative remarks, author S.C. Gwynne seems very excited to work with Sheridan on bringing to life his work. The writer told Deadline:
“I can’t think of anyone better qualified to bring Empire of the Summer Moon to the screen than Taylor Sheridan. He has a deep and nuanced understanding of both the myth and reality of the Old West. I am thrilled that he is undertaking this project.”
That seems to seal the deal between the Yellowstone director and the Empire of the Summer Moon. On the other hand, Sheridan did not respond to the comments made by Schmieding and Burgess.
Similarly, Gwynne also earned criticism for his book from the Comanche themselves. The alleged lack of resources and the heavy reliance on the written accounts of non-Natives were the main controversies. The author declined to comment.
There is no scheduled release date and cast details as of yet, so fans will have to tune in for more updates about Sheridan’s next big project.
