Yellowstone has developed into one of the biggest series phenomena ever in recent years, especially in the USA. But the western epic is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany on Paramount+ and Netflix. The series revolves around the legendary Dutton Ranch in Montana, which is led by Kevin Costner’s John Dutton as the iron patriarch.
While the story of the Dutton family, as well as the iconic ranch itself, comes from series creator Taylor Sheridan’s fiction, the filmmaker drew inspiration for the series from his own life. So Sheridan himself grew up in the shadow of the Four Sixes Ranch (also 6666 written) in Guthrie, Texas, which served as a model for the Dutton Ranch in Montana. In 2021, Sheridan finally fulfilled a big personal dream and bought the legendary ranch – for around $350 million.
The Four Sixes Ranch served as Taylor Sheridan’s model for Yellowstone
However, Sheridan did not initially use the Four Sixes Ranch as a filming location for the Dutton Ranch in Yellowstone. Instead, filming largely took place at the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana, while studio recording of the first three seasons also took place in Utah. Still, the Four Sixes was the most coherently incredible 270,000 hectares is the main source of inspiration for Sheridan, as he explained in an extensive profile to The Hollywood Reporter:
I grew up in the shadow of the Four Sixes. Getting just one of their horses was considered a status symbol because they were so well trained. That was the ranch where I got the scope and the Doing Business in Yellowstone based, because that didn’t exist in Montana. Most of the ranches there have already been divided. You’ve already lost it.
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The Four Sixes Ranch made its first appearance in season 4 of the series when Jimmy Henderson (Jefferson White) was sent to the ranch in Texas by John Dutton after an argument. In 2019, Sheridan struck a deal with the Four Sixes’ former owner, 81-year-old Anne Marion, whose family owned the ranch for over 150 years. Sheridan promised her the Four Sixes “most famous ranch in all of America” and was finally able to convince her to film the relevant scenes there.
The Four Sixes Ranch: Dream and business model for Sheridan
A few months later, Sheridan received the news of Anne Marion’s death and with it the offer to purchase the entire property before it suffered the same fate as many other ranches in the USA. Because these were often cut up into several parts and sold to different parties. The selling price of $350 million However, Sheridan was initially unable to do so out of his own pocket. So he felt pressured to extend his extensive deal with Paramount, which was supposed to bring the series creator a whopping $200 million:
I was really rich for 45 minutes. Then I was broke again. That was the exchange.
This is how the numerous series that Sheridan pitched and implemented to Paramount ultimately came about. These include the Yellowstone series 1883, which was partly filmed at the Four Sixes Ranch. Now in Sheridan’s possession, he was asking around, according to a Wall Street Journal report $50,000 per week of production – but according to producer David Glasser, a comparable price to neighboring ranches. As Sheridan explained to The Hollywood Reporter, shooting on his own ranch would eliminate additional costs and ensure safety and practicality.
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6666: Soon as its own spin-off?
Following the debut of the Four Sixes in Season 4 of Yellowstone, their own spin-off series was announced, taking on the famous Texas ranch as Yellowstone: 6666. Since then, however, the project has been quiet. As Sheridan explained to The Hollywood Reporter, the series needed a very specific approach – and therefore time:
[6666] needs a unique level of care for a variety of reasons because it is a real place with real familieswho work here. You have to respect the lineage. I asked [Paramount] being patient.
However, as long as Sheridan has to stay in the black at Paramount and fulfill the terms of his deal, we can expect many more stories from the Yellowstone universe. In addition to 6666, the prequel series 1944 and the direct sequel to the main series, 2024, are also expected to be in the starting blocks.
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