I’m excited that Taylor Sheridan is collaborating with 1923 star Brandon Sklenar for a movie called F.A.S.T., but I’m disappointed with one detail about the project. Sheridan started in Hollywood as an actor before realizing that he preferred working behind the scenes. This led to him writing several movies from 2011 onwards, and even directing a few. Taylor Sheridan wrote acclaimed movies like Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, also directing the latter. However, he is perhaps best known for creating the Yellowstone franchise, which consists of many shows.

Taylor Sheridan’s best shows include Yellowstone and its spinoffs, 1883 and 1923, as well as series like Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown. All of these series have been massively successful, and have helped to turn Sheridan into one of the most acclaimed writers in Hollywood. While he mostly focuses on TV shows nowadays, Sheridan will produce the upcoming movie F.A.S.T., which is based on a script that he wrote. This is exciting, but I wish Sheridan was directing F.A.S.T., rather than just producing it.

Taylor Sheridan Was Originally Going To Direct Fast
Sheridan Initially Intended To Direct The Movie

F.A.S.T. is not a new project for Sheridan, as he wrote the script for the action movie in the mid-2010s. He was actually once attached to direct the film and Chris Pratt was cast in the lead role. This would’ve been an exciting team up, but the project never gained much momentum at Warner Bros. since its $60-$70 million budget was on the higher side. After being stuck in development hell for years, it was announced that Sheridan would no longer direct F.A.S.T. in 2019, with The Accountant director Gavin O’Connor set to replace him.

Obviously, the project still didn’t move forward with O’Connor onboard. Therefore, in the last few years, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable to assume that the project was officially dead. However, it has now been announced that F.A.S.T. has been put on the fast track by Warner Bros. and has been given an April 23, 2027 release date. This recent update means that production on F.A.S.T. will begin very soon. The action movie will now be directed by Ben Richardson, who has helmed several episodes of 1923.

Taylor Sheridan Hasn’t Directed A Movie Since 2021
Sheridan Is A Talented Director

Since he has worked with Sheridan before, it’s not surprising that Richardson will make his feature film debut with F.A.S.T. I’m sure Richardson is a great choice to direct the action movie, but I can’t help but be disappointed that Sheridan has chosen not to helm the project. Sheridan has only directed three movies in his career, which is surprising since he is now such a popular name in the industry. Throughout his career, Sheridan has directed 2011’s Vile, 2017’s Wind River, and 2021’s Those Who Wish Me Dead.

While not all of his directorial efforts have received outstanding reviews, it is clear that Sheridan is a skilled filmmaker. This is especially evident with Wind River, which has an impressive 87% on Rotten Tomatoes (via Rotten Tomatoes). It is clear that Sheridan is very busy with his growing library of shows, but it’s still disappointing that he hasn’t directed a film since 2021. Hopefully Sheridan will return to the director’s chair sooner rather than later.

Taylor Sheridan’s Fast Movie Would Be More Exciting If He Was Directing It
Sheridan Will Still Be Heavily Involved In Fast’s Production

According to the synopsis for F.A.S.T., Sklenar’s character will be a former special forces commando who is tasked with leading a strike team to take down CIA-protected drug dealers in his town. Based on this brief description, it sounds like F.A.S.T. could be a thrilling action movie. However, I would be much more excited about the project if Sheridan was attached as a director.

As a writer and producer, I’m sure Sheridan will still have a lot of influence over the project.

This isn’t to say that Richardson won’t do a great job, but I desperately want to see Sheridan direct another film. As a writer and producer, I’m sure Sheridan will still have a lot of influence over the project. Additionally, since it is Richardson’s first feature film, Sheridan will likely help him a lot during filming. This is a good thing, but it’s obviously still different from Sheridan directing F.A.S.T. himself.