The Sheridanverse Explained: Which Taylor Sheridan Shows Take Place In The Same Universe
Taylor Sheridan has multiple popular television series in addition to Yellowstone, making him one of the most prolific screenwriters in Hollywood.
- Taylor Sheridan has created a larger universe of TV shows, with Yellowstone at the center and two prequel spinoffs, 1883 and 1923, that focus on different generations of the Dutton family.
- Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King are standalone shows that are not connected to the Yellowstone universe, with Mayor of Kingstown tackling themes of systemic racism and corruption, and Tulsa King following the story of an exiled New York Mafia man.
- Special Ops: Lioness and Lawmen: Bass Reeves are also not part of the Yellowstone universe, with Special Ops: Lioness being inspired by real-life CIA operations and Lawmen: Bass Reeves potentially continuing the true story of one of the first black Deputy U.S. Marshals.
- Land Man, an upcoming series set in the modern-day West Texas oil industry, is not confirmed to be connected to the Yellowstone universe.
- None of Taylor Sheridan’s feature-length films are officially connected to the Yellowstone universe, but his success as a writer, director, and producer has continued both within and outside the Yellowstone universe.
Writer, director, and showrunner Taylor Sheridan has several celebrated moves and television shows but not all of them are connected to his larger Yellowstone universe. Sheridan has emerged as one of the most influential creative minds in both the modern Western and action genres, having written dozens of films and TV series that have become critically acclaimed fan favorites. His most popular movies include Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River, and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Sheridan made his television debut with the incredibly popular Yellowstone series.
Sheridan is also an accomplished actor who has made cameos in several of his own works as well as on classic television series such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NYPD Blue, Veronica Mars, and NCIS: Los Angeles. One of his most notable works as an actor is as David Hale in Sons of Anarchy, in which he appeared in 21 episodes. Sheridan plays Travis Wheatley in his Yellowstone series, which is set to conclude in 2024 without the help of series lead Kevin Costner. Sheridan also appeared in two episodes of 1883 as Charles Goodnight. His screenplay for Hell or High Water was nominated for multiple honors including Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
Yellowstone & 4 Other Taylor Sheridan Shows Take Place In The Same Universe
The bread and butter of the Sheridanverse is undoubtedly Yellowstone, which acts as the foundation and nucleus of Sheridan’s entire realm of popular television series. Only two other shows that are currently in existence are part of the Yellowstone extended universe and both of them act as prequel spinoffs to the original Yellowstone series, following different generations of the Dutton family. 1883 chronicles the Dutton family’s early journey traveling from Texas to Oregon in the post-Civil War era of American history before settling in their iconic home of Montana, which would become the famous Yellowstone Ranch.
1923 follows a similar premise to 1883, focusing on the Dutton family as they face new challenges with many historical landmarks of the time such as Prohibition and the Great Depression. Because these three shows are the only ones that tell the story of the Dutton family, they are the only current shows that are part of the extended universe of Taylor Sheridan’s TV series. Two upcoming Taylor Sheridan shows will share this characteristic in the near future. 6666 will be a Yellowstone spinoff that is centered on the Four Sixes ranch in West Texas, while 2024 will star Matthew McConaughey leading a new generation of the Dutton family.
Mayor of Kingstown Is Not Part Of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Universe
Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family as led by Jeremy Renner and is not related to the Dutton family saga or the greater Yellowstone universe. The show is considered one of Taylor Sheridan’s best with a stellar performance from Renner and tackles tough themes of systemic racism, corruption, and inequality in the fictional town of Kingstown, Michigan. The series is celebrated for being a gritty and thrilling work by Sheridan, who co-wrote the series with Hugh Dillon, who plays Ian in the series and acts as Sheriff Donnie Haskell in Yellowstone
Tulsa King Is Not Connected To Yellowstone & The Sheridanverse
Another one of Taylor Sheridan’s excellent television series is Tulsa King starring Sylvester Stallone. Stallone plays a New York Mafia man named Dwight “The General” Manfredi who is exiled by his mob boss to Tulsa, Oklahoma after getting released from prison after serving a 25-year sentence. Although Tulsa King carries some classic Western themes as most of Sheridan’s projects tend to do, there is no connection between Tulsa King and Yellowstone whatsoever. It could be interesting to see some type of crossover with 2024, depending on how Tulsa King season 2 plays out.
Special Ops: Lioness Has No Connection To Sheridan’s Shared Universe
Special Ops: Lioness is one of Taylor Sheridan’s most recent television series starring Zoe Saldana, Michael Kelly, and Morgan Freeman. The series is more reminiscent of Sheridan’s exceptional work on Sicario, which was an intense action-packed thriller directed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve. Special Ops: Lioness follows Saldana’s Joe, a CIA operative who is tasked with spearheading the United States’ war on terror. While Special Ops: Lioness is inspired by a real-life U.S. military program, the series has no connection to Yellowstone or the Sheridanverse and will likely not have any crossover with it.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves Is Not A Yellowstone Spinoff
Lawmen: Bass Reeves was originally thought to be a spinoff of 1883, with some areas of the true legend of the Old West lawman potentially being crossed over with the fictional tale of the Dutton family in 1883. Despite these initial hints at the overlap between Lawmen: Bass Reeves and the Yellowstone universe, the recently released season 1 made it clear that there is no official crossover between the two series. The future of Lawmen could either be in the form of an anthology series that will chronicle different American lawmen throughout history, or it could continue the epic true story of one of the first black Deputy U.S. Marshals ever with Lawmen: Bass Reeves season 2.
Land Man Is Not Confirmed To Connect To Yellowstone’s Universe
Taylor Sheridan’s highly anticipated series Land Man is not confirmed to have any shared connection with the broader Yellowstone universe. There is certainly potential for the series to become part of the Yellowstone universe since it will be set in West Texas in a modern-day setting. The series is set to start Billy Bob Thornton and follow the competitive world of the oil industry. Not much information is known about Land Man since the plot is being kept under wraps and could potentially still be in development, but the series is expected to premiere sometime in late 2024 or 2025 with filming set to begin in 2024.
Do Any Of Taylor Sheridan’s Movies Connect To The Sheridanverse?
Taylor Sheridan has written or directed eight feature-length movies but none of them are officially connected to the Yellowstone universe. It seems like the success of the modern-day Western Hell or High Water may have had some momentum in the creation of Yellowstone, but there is nothing directly about the plot, characters, or backstory that makes it an official part of the Yellowstone universe. With all the success that Sheridan has had as a writer, director, and producer, it’s a testament to his passion for filmmaking that he has yet to slow down with all of his content both inside and outside the Yellowstone universe.
