This may be painful, but prior to Taylor Sheridan’s arrival as a storyteller, the Western genre’s heartbeat was growing faint; its glory days were a mere echo in Hollywood’s canyon. Who would have dared to dream that a movie could really spur a renaissance and bring the Western back to the forefront of American culture, reminding us all of the thrill of the untamed land?

Ashley Platz in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone | Paramount Network

Indeed, it was the Oscar-winning film Unforgiven, directed by and starring the legendary Clint Eastwood. This golden nugget of Western filmography not only capped off Eastwood’s illustrious career as a cowboy but also carved a path for new stories to gallop into modern audiences’ hearts. That being said, it even provided the creative tinder for Taylor Sheridan’s now-acclaimed Yellowstone.

How a Classic Clint Eastwood Film Influenced Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone

Taylor Sheridan,...