As the so-called King of Western TV, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has already established himself as one of the most lucrative showrunners in television – but according to recent reports, the reigning monarch of cowboy dramas is also raking in a small fortune by renting out his personal kingdom as a set for his hit show.
The Wall Street Journal claimed this week that Taylor, 52, whose net worth has been estimated anywhere between $15 million and $70 million, has been charging Paramount the princely sum of $50,000 a week in order to use his Texas ranch as a filming location for Yellowstone.
Taylor spent most of his childhood years living on a ranch in Cranfills Gap, Texas, a small town just south-west of Dallas, which has a population of less than 300 – an experience that he has now turned into an incredibly lucrative career, not only drawing on his upbringing as a basis for Yellowstone and its spinoffs, 1883 and 1923, but also by hosting a ‘Cowboy Camp’ where he trains the show’s actors – for which he is said to have earned $210,000 from Paramount.
The showrunner boasts two sprawling ranch properties in Texas – the $350 million, 266,255-plus acre Four Sixes Ranch, which he purchased in January 2022 along with a group of investors, and the Bosque Ranch, a 600-acre property where much of Yellowstone and its spinoffs are filmed.
Fans of Taylor’s hit shows will no doubt recognize the ranch’s rolling fields from scenes in his Western series… but what away from the cameras, what else does the property have to offer?
Get ready to take a look inside Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s luxury ranch – which he reportedly charged Paramount $50,000 per week to use as a filming location for the show
A recent report from the Wall Street Journal revealed that the production company paid tens of thousands of dollars to use Taylor’s sprawling property while making the hit series
Taylor (seen recently with his wife), 52, spent most of his childhood years living on a ranch in Cranfills Gap, Texas, a small town just south-west of Dallas, which has a population of just 300
After launching his career as a successful actor and screenwriter, Taylor (seen on set of Yellowstone spinoff 1883 with Sam Elliott) longed to return to his home state
After marrying actress Nicole Muirbrook in 2013, the couple decided to leave the hustle and bustle of Hollywood to move back to Texas – and they never looked back
Taylor – who spent years in Hollywood trying to make it as an actor, landing small roles in shows like Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars – made the decision to quit Los Angeles and return to his home state of Texas after marrying his wife, actress Nicole Muirbrook in 2013, and the couple has never looked back.
‘I left LA the second I could get out,’ he told Cowboys & Indians in 2020.
‘My wife’s from up in Wyoming, and my mother lives up there, so we moved there for a number of years, until I finally convinced her to come try my home state.
‘I moved her to Texas on August 1, because I figured I might as well just pull the Band-Aid off quick.
‘She didn’t understand the heat for a bit, but then she figured it out, and now she’s a Texan.’
The couple, along with their 13-year-old son, Gus, now split their time between his two ranches across the state – Four Sixes Ranch, which is located near Jacksboro, and Bosque Ranch, which is nestled near the rolling hills of Weatherford, just a stones throw away from the Brazos River.
The latter, which Taylor described as his ‘main headquarters’ in the interview, is where they make Yellowstone.
On top of serving as a filming location for the Western show and as Taylor’s home, the spacious ranch also has a large arena – which has played host to numerous events – and a restaurant called Nic’s bar.
The couple, along with their 13-year-old son, Gus, now split their time between two ranches across the state – one is called the Four Sixes Ranch, which is located near Jacksboro (seen)
The other is named the Bosque Ranch (seen) and is where they make Yellowstone and its spinoffs
The ranch, which Taylor described as his ‘main headquarters’ in the interview, is nestled near the rolling hills of Weatherford, just a stones throw away from the Brazos River
On top of serving as a filming location for the Western show and as Taylor’s home, the spacious ranch also has a large arena – which has played host to numerous events
It also has a restaurant called Nic’s. A description reads: ‘A beautiful space overlooking the arena offers its premiere members and patrons a local spot for drinks, food, and dancing’
The estate, which sprawls across 600 acres, is also home to numerous horses and cattle, which Taylor lends out to the show
‘A beautiful space overlooking the arena offers its premiere members and patrons a local spot for drinks, food, and dancing, while also offering a private event space to host cast and crew parties, special events, and more in an authentic, warm environment and crafted cocktails,’ a description on its website reads.
‘Once you experience this spot you will become a regular while still experiencing something new each time.’
The estate, which sprawls across 600 acres, is also home to numerous horses and cattle, which Taylor lends out to the show, for a hefty price, of course – charging $25-a-head for cattle and $2,000-a-head for horses, per WSJ.
‘Right now, I’ve got probably as many horses as I have cattle. And I have too many horses,’ he joked in a previous interview.
On the ranch’s website, Taylor states that he aimed to use the ranch in order to bring some much-needed attention and funding to the performance horse industry, writing: ‘The recession that began in 2008 highlighted the great flaw of the performance horse industry — it is a participant-driven sport centered around aged events for horses, which essentially means — the horse’s show career is over when it turns seven.
‘These two factors: a sport designed for the benefit of the professional rider and limiting the major events to horses ages 3-6, participation in these events began shrinking.
‘My goal with Bosque Ranch is to create an experience for the spectator while greatly enhancing the opportunities for the riders.’
Referring to his success in the world of TV, Taylor continued that he plans to use his ‘star making’ and ‘career reviving’ talents to bring similar benefits to the world of performance horse riding.
He reportedly charges $25 a head for cattle and $2,000 a head for horses
‘Right now, I’ve got probably as many horses as I have cattle. And I have too many horses,’ he joked in a previous interview. He is seen with his wife and one of their horses
Yellowstone stars Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham. A behind-the-scenes photo from on set is seen above
It premiered in 2018 and recently announced that it will come to an end following its fifth season. It also inspired two spinoffs, with two more on the way
When it comes to Taylor’s second estate – Four Sixes Ranch – he, along with a group of investors bought the 152-year-old, 266,000-acre estate for around $341 million last year. He’s seen with his family on one of his ranches
‘In my “other” job, I am a star maker and a career reviver,’ he stated. ‘I will do the same thing in this space — I will make stars of the horses and stars of the riders. I will continue to attract new participants to these various disciplines, but more importantly, I will continue creating an experience that captivates an audience.’
As for the Four Sixes Ranch, Taylor will soon bring that property into his Yellowstone empire with the debut of one of his alleged spinoff series – which he is reportedly planning to name 6666 after the sprawling Texas estate.
Yellowstone, which stars Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham, premiered in 2018 and recently announced that it will come to an end following its fifth season.
After weeks of rumors and speculation about the future of the show being thrown into turmoil amid alleged in-fighting between Taylor and Kevin, Paramount confirmed last week that the series will officially end with the final episodes of the latest season, which are due to air in November.
But the end of Yellowstone far from signals an end to Taylor’s money-making endeavors. Quite the opposite in fact.
According to reports, the showrunner has already lined up two further spinoffs – with Matthew McConaughey tipped as a possible star for one of the new series.
And no doubt, both shows, if and when they enter production, will find themselves a suitable – yet pricey – home in the form of Taylor’s ranch, which he has also used as a base for training for actors taking on the roles of his cowboy characters.
The Wall Street Journal claimed that Paramount forked over an additional $214,000 to Taylor ahead of filming season five of Yellowstone, so it could use his property to host a ‘Cowboy Camp,’ where the actors learned how to ‘handle horses and accurately portray life on a ranch.’
When it comes to Taylor’s second estate – Four Sixes Ranch – he, along with a group of investors (including Yellowstone executive producer Ron Burkle) bought the 152-year-old, 266,000-acre estate for around $341 million last year.
‘I would pinch myself if I wasn’t keenly aware of the tremendous amount of responsibility that I just took on. It’s 150 years of legacy building at Four Sixes,’ Taylor told Fort Worth Magazine in November.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk