Taylor Sheridan was sued Friday for copyright infringement after Virginia-based writer Lauren J. Salkin claimed he stole her idea for “Yellowstone” from a 2016 series pitch to his production company.
According to legal documents, which were obtained and reviewed by TheWrap, Salkin, an entertaiment journalist and TV writer, sued Sheridan, Paramount and NBCUniversal in California on Friday, claiming she created the foundation that eventually became breakout series “Yellowstone.” Namely, Salkin claimed that she submitted a pilot script and other materials, titled “Sovereign Nation,” in 2016 and 2017 to Sheridan’s production company.
Per the filing, Salkin was told that her materials were reviewed by Sheridan, citing a note from Elevate Entertainment that stated: “Taylor thanks you very much for your interest. Unfortunately, he’s unavailable for TV projects.”
Months later, Paramount gave Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” the green light, airing its first episode on the Paramount Network in June 2018. Salkin claimed that the similarities between “Sovereign Nation” and “Yellowstone” were more than a coincidence, and even provided a breakdown showing how the main characters were ripoffs of her ideas.
Salkin also highlighted similar plot points, including war over land and development, that were akin to her pitch.
“What then appeared in ‘Yellowstone’ was not merely another Western about land or family,” the lawsuit read. “It included specific expressive choices already embodied in Salkin’s materials: a tribal casino functioning as the institutional center of political and development power; a signature confrontation staged in the tribal chairman’s casino office over expansion beyond reservation boundaries; the use of trust land, the absence of zoning restrictions, and a 99-year lease structure as the concrete mechanism for that expansion; and recurring master-plan imagery deployed to dramatize the struggle for territorial control.”
Salkin’s original pitch deck also allegedly named actors Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham as potential fits for her vision — both of whom were later cast on “Yellowstone.” Salkin additionally claimed that she met with a senior HBO scripted-television executive for “Sovereign Nation” who had rejected Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” pitch in spring 2017 due to its similarities to her work.
“Copyright law does not protect the abstract idea of a Western, a land dispute, an Indian casino, or a powerful family — and that is not Plaintiff’s claim,” the filing continued. “The infringement alleged here lies in the copying of Salkin’s particular expressive choices and their coordinated selection and arrangement.”
Salkin’s filing sought an injunction to prevent the continued and future infringement of her work, as well as unspecified damages, which included profits from the “Yellowstone” franchise. She requested a trial by jury.
Representatives for Sheridan, NBCUniversal and Paramount did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. Co-defendants on the claim are John Linson, Art Linson, Bosque Ranch Productions, Linson Entertainment and 101 Studios.
Sheridan debuted his breakthrough series “Yellowstone” in June 2018 on the Paramount Network. The series, which starred Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley and Cole Hauser, followed the Dutton family, powerful cattle ranchers who will stop at nothing to protect their land and legacy.
The show was a galloping success for Paramount, running for five seasons and sparking a number of spinoffs, including “1883,” “1923,” “Marshals” and most recently “Dutton Ranch” with Reilly reprising her role as matriarch Beth Dutton. Sheridan’s partnership with Paramount has grown outside his “Yellowstone” universe, as he also created “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Tulsa King,” “Lioness,” “Landman” and “The Madison.”
Next up, Sheridan is set to leave Paramount after signing a massive deal at NBCUniversal – set to begin Jan. 1, 2029.
TMZ first reported the news of Salkin’s copyright infringement lawsuit.
The post Taylor Sheridan Accused of Stealing ‘Yellowstone’ Idea From 2016 Series Pitch appeared first on TheWrap.
