Helen Mirren Compares Yellowstone To The Greatest Novel Ever Written
Helen Mirren compared the Yellowstone franchise to Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace.
Authors of the 1920s aspired to write the Great American Novel, while 100 years later, Taylor Sheridan has crafted the Great American TV Show. The Wrap recently screened the premiere episode of the Yellowstone spin-off 1923, starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. During the Q&A, Mirren called the Yellowstone universe more than a franchise, likening it to Leo Tolstoy’s literary masterwork War and Peace.
“I don’t see it as a franchise,” Mirren told the audience. “I know this is going to sound super pretentious, but I see it more as an examination of the history of America, in the way that War and Peace was an examination of part of the history of Russia, seen through the eyes of families, family members.”
Comparing the Yellowstone universe to War and Peace may not be as pretentious as Helen Mirren thinks. Both works utilize fictional characters and illustrate the realities of history and catalyze philosophical discussion.
War and Peace examines the French invasion of Russia in the early 1800s through the eyes of several families, while the Yellowstone saga explores key turning points in American history from the perspective of a single family across its generations.
Yellowstone is not the only franchise Helen Mirren has joined in her storied career. The esteemed actress appears in the Fast & Furious Saga, the RED films with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman, and as a supervillain in DC Studios’ Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Her opinion on the subject is not without credibility.
The Yellowstone universe is still a franchise, regardless of how Helen Mirren sees it. The actress’s praise of the television phenomenon speaks to just how good it really is. Mirren’s co-star, Harrison Ford, shared a similar sentiment regarding 1923, claiming that the series was so rich and large in scope that he never thought of it as television at all.
Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford are not the only ones raving about the Yellowstone universe. Its spin-off tales have been well-received by critics and audiences, and its flagship series remains one of the most popular shows on television. And it all comes from the franchise’s creator, Taylor Sheridan.
Sheridan is the driving force behind the praised writing of the Yellowstone shows, and his work is what drove Helen Mirren to 1923. “I personally hadn’t seen a lot of Yellowstone,” Mirren admitted, “but mostly I jumped on board because of Taylor’s writing in his films that is so very, very good and it transpired that he is a brilliant writer. He really is.”
Taylor Sheridan has positioned himself as one of the busiest writers in Hollywood thanks to his Yellowstone empire and shows like The Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King. While Helen Mirren has nothing but praise for her writer, Yellowstone star Kevin Costner has reportedly butted heads with the prolific creator.
Rumors of a power struggle between Costner and Sheridan have floated around the internet for months. Costner has allegedly been unwilling to commit the time necessary to make Yellowstone as he aims to direct a film of his own. The scheduling conflict could steer the flagship series toward an untimely end.
Even if Yellowstone concludes, Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford are expected to return for season two of 1923, and a new spin-off led by Matthew McConaughey is on the way. The franchise has a loyal following, and its characters and stories are diverse enough to keep its sprawling universe compelling, even without Costner in the leading role.
The Yellowstone universe feels like more than a franchise because of its depth. Helen Mirren sees that, as do the franchise’s thousands of fans. Where it goes next is a mystery, but its trip through American history is sure to deliver a harrowing exploration of war, peace, and everything in between.
