Sylvester Stallone’s Show With ‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Came Together Surprisingly Fast

It can often take years for an idea to become a television pitch and then a pilot script, but for Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan, an idea can come together in a matter of hours. That was the case for Kansas City, a new project he is developing with The Wolf of Wall Street writer Terence Winter that will star Sylvester Stallone. In an interview with Deadline, 101 Studios CEO David Glasser said Sheridan had pitched the idea off the top of his head, and by the end of a weekend, Stallone was already attached.

Glasser called Sheridan one Friday about a possible project with Stallone. The 1883 executive producer suggested something in the mob space, noting that he always wanted to adapt Mario Puzo’s Omerta. “I said, ‘Taylor what if you came up with the cool wildness of Goodfellas with Stallone?’” Glasser told Deadline. “He takes a breath, I’m not even joking, and he goes, ‘Hmm, that’s a good idea, Glasser.’ Then, on the spot, he proceeds to spend 45 minutes pitching me a story that he just created in his head. This is Friday at 3 p.m. It is a great story, and nothing is written down.”

By that Sunday afternoon, Sheridan had a pilot script in Glasser’s hand. While Glasser was talking to network executives, Sheridan called up Stallone and pitched the idea to the Rocky star. Stallone said yes. By the time Glasser and Sheridan presented the project to the network on Monday, Stallone was already attached and the first script was written.

News about Kansas City surfaced earlier this month. The series will center on Sal (Stallone), a New York City Italian mobster who moves to Kansas City, Missouri. He tries to build a new empire there, but finds it difficult due to the different atmosphere. He meets a surprising group of characters who agree to help him. Stallone also signed on as an executive producer. It will be the first regular television series role in Stallone’s 50-year career. Kansas City will be released on Paramount+, which is also the home of Sheridan’s 1883 and Mayor of Kingstown.

“This is how it happens with him,” Glasser told Deadline of Sheridan. “He just picks up the phone and calls people like Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Hanks, Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw and says, hey, I’ve got this idea. I call to do the deal with the agent afterwards.”

Sheridan has several other projects in the works, aside from Yellowstone, 1883, and Mayor of Kingstown. He’s also developing Lioness, a series about the true story of undercover female U.S. operatives who are tasked with various dangerous missions. Sheridan wouldn’t say who was cast in that project. Land Man is another series in development that is based on the Boomtown podcast about the West Texas oil boom. Yellowstone Season 5 is also set to start production in May, so Sheridan has plenty of projects to keep himself busy.