‘The Rescue’: Paramount Western Recruits ‘Yellowstone’ Stars for Post-Taylor Sheridan Era

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Now that Taylor Sheridan’s contract with Paramount has ended, two former stars of his hit shows, Yellowstone and 1923, are joining forces for a new western thriller. Hassie Harrison, from Yellowstone, and Brandon Sklenar, from 1923, will star in The Rescue, a modern-day western about a rodeo rider and his dog as they search for his lost daughter.

Given that The Rescue follows a typical Western formula and comes from the same creators as Yellowstone, Paramount seems to be exploring other Western stories without Taylor Sheridan. With Sheridan now working with NBCUniversal, it will be interesting to see how audiences who enjoy Yellowstone respond to The Rescue, and whether Paramount will continue making Westerns even without Sheridan involved.

‘The Rescue’ Reunites Two ‘Yellowstone’ Franchise Stars


Paramount+

Paramount’s new thriller, The Rescue, is being marketed as a contemporary Western and could benefit from the popularity of shows like Yellowstone and its spin-offs. The film, written by Western expert John Fusco (known for Young Guns) and directed by Potsy Ponciroli (Old Henry), combines familiar Western themes from Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone and The Last Cowboy with the revenge-driven action of films like Taken.

Details are limited, but reports indicate the movie The Rescue is a modern Western about a rodeo cowboy who must use his skills beyond the rodeo arena. The plot centers around a cowboy and his dog searching for his missing daughter. It sounds like a revenge thriller similar to Taken, but set in a Western-style world, where the father will likely use his unique abilities to rescue his daughter from those who took her.

The upcoming film, The Rescue, will feature Brandon Sklenar and Hassie Harrison, both known for their roles in the Yellowstone universe. Harrison played Laramie in 18 episodes of Yellowstone, where she was a skilled barrel racer, a close friend of Mia, and Walker’s girlfriend, all at the Dutton Family Ranch. While their specific characters in The Rescue haven’t been announced, fans of Yellowstone will recognize these actors.

Brandon Sklenar appeared in 15 episodes of the Yellowstone prequel, 1923, as Spencer Dutton, the son of James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill). After experiencing the horrors of World War II, Dutton goes to Africa to work as a big game hunter. He eventually returns home and adjusts to life outside of war.

Can Paramount Thrive in the Western Genre Without Taylor Sheridan?


Paramount+

Paramount is hoping to continue the success of westerns by using actors from Yellowstone, especially now that Taylor Sheridan is stepping back. It’s a gamble, but The Rescue clearly draws heavily from Yellowstone – including familiar characters like the ranch hands and rodeo cowboys that Sheridan often plays. Adding in Sheridan’s other show, The Last Rodeo, which is also available on Paramount+, makes The Rescue feel even more like a continuation of the popular Yellowstone formula.

While Yellowstone is known for its family drama, even with all the violence, the recent The Rescue feels more like a crime thriller. It shares similarities with Sheridan’s excellent crime films Sicario and Wind River, which also have a western feel and focus on revenge.

Both Sicario and Wind River feature characters driven by revenge. In Sicario, hitman Alejandro (Benicio del Toro) seeks retribution against the cartel responsible for his family’s murder. Similarly, in Wind River, Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) pursues justice for a young Native woman by tracking down and confronting her killers.

Considering how much The Rescue echoes the elements that made Taylor Sheridan so successful for Paramount, it’s natural to wonder if the network can continue to excel with westerns now that he’s moved on. Will the new writers, Harrison and Sklenar, be able to replicate the success of shows like Yellowstone and 1923?

The success of The Rescue might be due to the experience of its writer and director. Writer John Fusco is just as knowledgeable about Westerns as Taylor Sheridan, and possibly even more so. He’s known for historically accurate scripts like those for Young Guns and Young Guns II, and has also written films like Thunderheart, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Hidalgo, and The Wild & The Reckoning. With Fusco writing, Paramount was in good hands with this film.

Director Potsy Ponciroli’s 2021 western, Old Henry, which received great reviews, proves his skill. Tim Blake Nelson gives a strong performance as Henry, a clever farmer who gets caught up in a criminal situation when a mysterious man appears on his property with a lot of money. It wouldn’t be a problem if Paramount replaced Taylor Sheridan with someone less experienced, but with directors Fusco and Ponciroli at the helm of The Rescue, and stars Harrison and Sklenar taking on leading roles, fans of Yellowstone and Sheridan’s work are in for something special.

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2025-12-18 01:20