‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Slams Studio Bosses, Marvel’s “Information Dumps,” and Critics in Brutal Interview

Taylor Sheridan has become one of television’s biggest creators, but he says he has never cared about following Hollywood’s rules or chasing awards. The Yellowstone creator recently opened up about his approach to storytelling while criticizing studio executives, Marvel movies, and TV critics during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast.

Sheridan joined the podcast to promote his new book How Not to Die in Prison, which he co-wrote with Tom Nelson. During the conversation, he discussed how he built his television career by avoiding trends and focusing on telling stories in his own way.

The writer behind shows such as Yellowstone, Landman, and The Madison said he wanted to move away from what he believed had become a common problem in Hollywood: relying on shortcuts instead of strong storytelling.

“I knew when I started writing [I wanted] to simply not do what everyone else was doing,” Sheridan said on the podcast. “What everyone else was doing was taking shortcuts, essentially breaking all the very basic fundamental rules of storytelling, because they couldn’t figure out their story.”

Sheridan explained that he believes visuals should carry a story, while dialogue should reveal emotions and motivations instead of simply explaining what is happening.

He also talked about criticism surrounding his Paramount+ series Landman, especially the role of Demi Moore’s character. Sheridan said he knew some viewers and critics would question why Moore’s character had a smaller role early on, but he believed the story needed time to develop.

“The critics are going to come after me. I’m underutilizing [Moore], can’t write for women, all this nonsense. Then I’m going to kill your husband and you’re going to have to run the oil company,” Sheridan said.

He added that he does not focus on negative reactions from critics. “I don’t care what they think, and it annoys the shit out of them that I don’t care,” he said.

During the interview, Sheridan also criticized Marvel movies, using them as an example of what he sees as a larger issue in modern Hollywood storytelling. He argued that some superhero films rely too much on characters explaining information instead of letting the action and visuals tell the story.

According to Sheridan, some movies include too many explanations that viewers need to understand before the story can move forward.

He also had strong words for studio and network executives, saying many of them do not have enough experience with storytelling but still influence creative decisions. “What do you know about developing story? You know nothing,” Sheridan said while discussing executives who control which projects move forward.

He argued that writers and directors once had more creative freedom and that the industry has changed because executives now have more control over scripts, characters, and production decisions.

Sheridan said he avoided that kind of interference when making his deal with Paramount. He explained that he wanted the freedom to create shows based on his own instincts rather than trying to satisfy committees or chase awards.

“You’re not going to win no Emmys with me, but I’m not trying to win Emmys. That’s not my goal,” he said. “My goal is to sit somebody on their couch and move them, make them think, make them laugh, scare the shit out of them, excite them.”

Sheridan also discussed his relationship with Los Angeles and said he has no plans to move back to the city, criticizing what he sees as the current state of Hollywood.

Despite his criticism of the industry, Sheridan continues to expand his television empire, with multiple shows connected to his name and several new projects in development.

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