Why Taylor Sheridan Couldn't Retire From Hollywood After Yellowstone's Success

Neo-Western writer and producer Taylor Sheridan reveals one of the reasons why he has continued to work on the Yellowstone franchise.

Before Yellowstone's debut in 2018, Sheridan was known for writing Hell or High Water and Sicario, and writing and directing Wind River. He is also an actor, with his notable credits including 21 episodes of Sons of Anarchy. But while Yellowstone was a massive success and launched a new era of his career, the 56-year-old showrunner still considered retiring at that point, but didn't because of another investment.

In a new interview with the Rodeo Time podcast, Sheridan revealed that he planned to retire after he was done with Yellowstone, but decided to sign an exclusive deal with Paramount after his purchase of the historic Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, where parts of Yellowstone were filmed. This is where he met previous owner Anne Marion.

As he was already the owner of another ranch in Weatherford, Texas, with no debts at the time, Sheridan continued: "I was going to put my feet up and show horses, and have my little hobby herd over here, and that was it. [...] I knew that if I bought this ranch, I was not going to be quitting my day job for a while." Marion's estate approached Sheridan about buying the ranch, and they were looking for someone who would "maintain her vision."

The Four Sixes Ranch, which breeds Angus cattle and Quarter horses, was founded by Marion's great-grandfather Samuel "Burk" Burnett in 1870. This 142,372-acre ranch was also intended to be sold with two other properties, the Dixon Creek and Frisco Creek ranch divisions​​​​​​​. Four Sixes was listed for $192.2 million​​​​​​​, Dixon Creek for $137.3 million, and Frisco Creek for $12.2 million.

Sheridan did not have this money, but reconsidered Paramount's offer to keep him on. "They were terrified that I was going to go to greener pastures and leave them and go somewhere else, which I probably was," Sheridan said. "But once this happened, I called them, and I said, 'You know what? I think I'm ready to make an overall deal.' And they said, 'That's great. Do you have a number in mind?' And I said, 'Why yes, I do'."

Sheridan gathered a group of investors, but "sold enough scripts that [he] was able to become the majority owner in the partnership." Texas Land Magazine reported in June 2022 that the deal for all three properties had closed the previous January, and that "all parties signed a confidentiality agreement preventing disclosure of the final sale price."

Sheridan has been busy paying off this debt: Since 2021, he has served as the creator of the Yellowstone spinoffs 1883, 1923, and The Madison, as well as the additional original series Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, Landman, and Lioness. Two additional Yellowstone spinoffs, Marshals and Dutton Ranch, have other showrunners, but Sheridan is still credited with creating the characters.

But Taylor Sheridan is still not tied to Paramount forever; Puck reported in 2025 that he would be moving to NBCUniversal when his contract with Paramount is up. Thus, he may have changed his mind about retirement if he is to continue working in entertainment, even when it isn't a necessity because of the cost of Four Sixes Ranch.