Yellowstone has always been a ‘Godfather’ story and Taylor Sheridan doesn’t even hide that anymore

They say, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”but if you look Yellowstoneit’s hard not to see the hidden pages of the plot, especially those ripped straight from the book. The godfatherTaylor Sheridan’s hit TV series has long displayed influences like a cowboy with spurs, and now even the most casual viewers are seeing similarities between the family feud and Francis Ford Coppola’s legendary mafia saga.

And for those scratching their heads, here’s a fun fact: Sheridan’s original pitch for Yellowstone as ‘The godfather ‘In Montana’ hasn’t exactly blown HBO executives away. But against all odds, the show has transformed skeptics into devoted fans. And just when you thought the drama had peaked, Sheridan is gearing up to bring us the fifth and final season by the end of the year.

HBO waved off Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Pitch as ‘In Central America’

Last year, Taylor Sheridan, the mastermind behind Yellowstonetold The Hollywood Reporter about how HBO blew the ball with its neo-Western masterpiece. His pitch for the series was to re-imagine it as “The godfather takes place in Montana’.

But HBO, under the watchful eye of then-programming president Michael Lombardo, didn’t quite agree. Despite Sheridan’s grand vision and his suggestion that Kevin Costner play patriarch John Dutton, they had their sights set on Robert Redford.

Sheridan recalled:

They said, ‘If you can get us Robert Redford, we’ll give the green light for the pilot.’

Shortly after, Sheridan and co-creator John Linson were invited to a luncheon in West LA for a chat with HBO’s bigwigs. The former recounted the meeting, saying:

John Linson eventually asks, ‘Why don’t you want to make it?’ And the VP says, ‘Look, it just feels so Middle America. We’re HBO, we’re avant-garde, we’re trendsetters. This feels like a step backwards. And honestly, I have to be honest, I don’t think anyone should live there (in rural Montana). It should be a park or something.’

The studio even took issue with the beloved character, Beth Dutton, suggesting that she “too abrasive“and that “Women won’t like her.” It wasn’t until Lombardo left in 2016 that Sheridan was given another chance and eventually came up trumps Yellowstone at Paramount Network.

The godfather Influence: What Fans See In Yellowstone‘s characters

When it comes to family dramas, it’s clear that Yellowstone and Francis Ford Coppola’s The godfather are cut from the same cloth—although it is a cloth that has seen its fair share of bloodstains and broken family ties. The Duttons and Corleones are not only alike in their roster of four children—three boys and one girl—but also in their power plays and high-stakes family feuds.

In the Corleone camp, you have Santino “Sonny” (James Caan), the hot-headed elder who is eager to take over his father’s empire. This fiery nature is reflected in the Dutton clan, particularly their eldest son, Lee Dutton (Dave Annable), and their daughter, Beth (Kelly Reilly).

But the similarities don’t stop there. The real crux of the matter lies in the parallels between the patriarchs of these two dynasties. Just as Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) and his son Michael (Al Pacino) are embroiled in a complex father-son dynamic and a battle to protect their empire, John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) and his son Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) navigate their own bumpy paths.

Meanwhile fans of Yellowstone are quick to point out how the Duttons’ growing ruthlessness is a direct result of their relentless fight to keep their land. It’s as if the land itself is cursed, with each generation of Duttons becoming tougher and meaner to fend off threats. As one fan noted:

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Let’s see what other fans say about it:

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So while HBO may have missed the bus, Sheridan’s Yellowstone rode off into the sunset of success, proving that sometimes when one door closes, a whole new world of possibilities opens. But without Kevin Costner at the helm, the fate of the Dutton family and the entire Yellowstone saga teeters on the edge of the abyss.

The second half of Yellowstone Season 5 is scheduled to air on November 10, 2024.

You can currently stream Yellowstone on Paramount+.