Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan became a household name through the success of the Western series. Fans became obsessed with the adventures of the Dutton family and were broken when the show ended after five seasons. Now, a writer is alleging that the show was based on a rejected pitch that Taylor Sheridan stole from her. Keep reading for more details on what the scorned writer had to say.
Yellowstone Was Not An Original Idea
Fans became obsessed with Yellowstone and loved what Taylor Sheridan had to deliver. Every week, they tuned in to see what the Dutton family was up to, helmed by Cole Hauser and Kevin Costner. There were even a few spinoffs to help quench the thirst that went along with the fandom. Unfortunately for Sheridan, he is in the middle of a copyright scandal. He is being accused of stealing the idea from an eager writer who pitched it to him a decade ago.
Lauren J. Salkin stated that she pitched something similar to the idea for the Western series. However, it was shot down, but then the show came out, and she saw how similar it was to her idea. That was when she decided she needed to take action against Sheridan and let her voice be heard. Per Salkin’s lawyers, she had developed the concept for Sovereign Nation. This took her around a decade to do, and it was about “tribal governance, casino-driven economic power, and a modern war over land and development.”
Her idea was then given to Taylor Sheridan in 2016. However, in 2017, she received a rejection that said this:
“Taylor thanks you very much for your interest. Unfortunately, he’s unavailable for TV projects.”
It was not until 2018 that Yellowstone premiered, and it gave the writer quite a shock as she saw many similarities to what she had pitched. Finally, Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham were two actors that Lauren J. Salkin wanted for her project. They would ultimately be cast in Yellowstone, so it was far too close to home.
Not A Big Thing
Of course, Lauren J. Salkin’s lawyers want to get everything she is owed and more. However, Yellowstone fans and regular television viewers find the suit laughable. They have seen this so many times before and do not believe she has much of a case. Rather, they feel that writers steal from each other all the time, which is quite sad:
- If he stole her idea, where she get hers from?? I ve read books with similar stories, so maybe she stole her idea from some of them!!
- nothing new, they are always stealing from writers
Have you seen and read similar projects to Yellowstone? Finally, do you agree that it is hard to have an original thought anymore? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
