Donna Langley: Film Offer Lured Taylor Sheridan to NBCUniversal
At Bloomberg's Screentime event, Donna Langley said she pursued Taylor Sheridan by offering a stronger film deal than his Paramount first-look arrangement.
Donna Langley said she pursued Taylor Sheridan after seeing an opportunity created by disruption and instability at Paramount. Speaking at Bloomberg's Screentime event, the NBCUniversal executive explained that her initial conversations with Sheridan focused on film, because his Paramount film deal was a first-look deal with less leverage than his television deal.
The film component of Sheridan's NBCUniversal deal is expected to take effect in 2026. The TV component will follow after he fulfills his contractual obligations to Paramount in 2028.
News of Sheridan's deal with NBCUniversal broke in late October 2025. Sheridan spent a decade at Paramount, building a TV empire starting with "Yellowstone" in 2018 and creating spinoffs like "1923," "The Madison," and "Dutton Ranch," as well as shows like "Lioness," "Marshals," "Landman," and "Mayor of Kingstown."
Sheridan also wrote films including "Sicario," "Hell or High Water," and "Wind River." He wrote the scripts for Paramount's upcoming "Call of Duty Movie" and "Sicario 3."
Variety reported on Langley's remarks at the Bloomberg event.
Quick answers
When will Taylor Sheridan's film deal with NBCUniversal start?
The film component is expected to take effect in 2026.
When will Sheridan's TV deal with NBCUniversal begin?
The TV component will follow after he fulfills his contractual obligations to Paramount in 2028.
Why did Donna Langley focus on film in her talks with Sheridan?
She said his Paramount film deal was a first-look deal with less leverage than his television deal.