Taylor Sheridan to Write and Direct Adaptation of ‘Empire of the Summer Moon’

“Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan has settled on his next project, an adaptation of S.C. Gwynne’s book, “Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History,” TheWrap has learned.

Sheridan and his Bosque Ranch production company embarked on a bidding war to obtain the rights to the book, which he’ll direct and write; he’ll also act as producer alongside Jenny Wood. Right now the format remains unclear as to whether this will be a feature film or a television series.

Gwynne’s book is a sprawling account of the four-decade-long struggle between the Comanche tribe and white settlers to control the American West, with Quanah often considered the tribe’s greatest chief.

It would make sense for it to be television considering his work in that space. He currently has six different television shows currently on various networks and streaming services: “Yellowstone,” “1923,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Lioness,” “Lawman: Bass Reeves” and “Tulsa King.” But he’s also shown himself to be a strong feature film director. His last movie was itself an adaptation, the 2021 thriller “Those Who Wish Me Dead.”

Sheridan knows how to keep busy. Production for the second half of “Yellowstone” Season 5 is expected to resume in late spring of 2024 in spite of the writer’s strike delaying production. The network announced in May of 2023 that “Yellowstone” would end after Season 5. The news came amid reports of tension between star Kevin Costner and the show, as production conflicts arose between “Yellowstone” and Costner’s new Western “Horizon,” which led Costner to reluctantly exit the film.

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