All it took was one Facebook post. A camera person in Utah wanting to know the status and contact info for one of the new films in Utah. My ears perked. Since Andi Mack, Westworld and Mosaic wrapped, the industry here has been incredibly slow. As a local actor all you want to do is audition and book, and when the well feels dry, like a lost soul in the desert, you crawl towards any drop of water you can find. Yellowstone, however, is a swimming pool.

New Television Series Films In Utah

Perhaps it’s just a rumor. There’s no mention of this Paramount Network/Viacom project coming to Utah. But then several of my film crew buddies already have it on their radar. 

BTW, if you’re just now tuning into the film industry in Utah let me explain that we might not be Atlanta and the source of all things undead but we’re no small potatoes either. With a solid talent pool, stable, professional crew, easy airport/travel access, phenomenal seasonal weather, locations from wild west to upscale city, a film incentive, non-union status and welcoming locals, Utah should be the place. This year alone, you can watch the critically acclaimed features Wind River and Brigsby Bear; laugh and scream to the awesome Snatchers TV series playing on Stage13’s Go90.com Channel; your tweens will beg for more Andi Mack, replay Westworld on HBOGo, and though you may have missed ABC’s Blood and Oil because of crappy reviews, it was actually pretty decent.

By Eagerbeaver198484

Luke Grimes was just announced to star opposite Kevin Costner in Yellowstone. Needless to say that not only is Utah abuzz, Hollywood is tittering too. The Paramount Network Mega-western almost sounds like a reboot of Blood and Oil with a much bigger cast and writer (Award-winning Taylor Sheridan). Here’s the logline: an intense study of a violent world far from media scrutiny — where land grabs make developers billions, and politicians are bought and sold by the world’s largest oil and lumber corporations. Where drinking water poisoned by fracking wells and unsolved murders are not news: they are a consequence of living in the new frontier.

The scene is set in Montana, not North Dakota like B&O. But the actual filming location for both is Utah! There are ruthless land developers, Indians, and America’s first national park. Costner will play John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the U.S., Grimes plays his youngest son, Cory. (Wonder if John has grandkids? Teehee.)

“The show is both timely and timeless. As much as it explores themes painfully relevant to the world today, it explores the very essence of family, and how the actions of one member can alter the course of generations,” Sheridan told the Hollywood Reporter.

Taylor Sheridan’s Role

Sheridan will write and direct the 10-episode season of Yellowstone and everyone is chomping at the bit for a read. His credits include Sicario and Wind River. He’s also an actor which means he’s an “actor’s director.” John and Art Linson (Sons of Anarchy, Fight Club, Heat) will exec produce alongside the Weinstein Co.’s Harvey Weinstein and David Glasser. We’re talking heavy hitters in the film world.

Yellowstone begins production in the fall and has a 2018 premiere slot on Paramount Network (the rebranded Spike TV Channel). No word yet on locals’ casting but here some info if you’d like to be an extra.