After captivating audiences with the raw frontier drama of 1923, Taylor Sheridan and Brandon Sklenar are back — this time trading rugged Montana landscapes for a high-stakes, high-octane world in the long-awaited action thriller Fast. And while the title may imply speed, the project’s nearly decade-long journey to the big screen is a testament to the challenges, triumphs, and creative perseverance that define Sheridan’s signature style.

Sheridan, the creative mastermind behind the Yellowstone universe, has always shown an uncanny ability to blend intimate human drama with sweeping cinematic intensity. With Fast, he’s stepping back into the gritty realm of cinematic thrillers — and bringing a powerhouse team with him. Alongside Sklenar, whose commanding presence lit up 1923 as Spencer Dutton, Sheridan has also enlisted Ben Richardson, the visionary cinematographer behind The Fault in Our Stars and Beasts of the Southern Wild, to make his directorial debut. If the buzz surrounding this trio is any indication, Fast may very well be the most emotionally intense, pulse-pounding Sheridan project yet.

Though the plot remains under wraps, Fast has already carved out a dramatic legacy before a single frame has been shot. Written by Sheridan in the mid-2010s, when his screenwriting career was soaring thanks to Sicario and Hell or High Water, the film was originally greenlit by Warner Bros. in 2018. At one point, Chris Pratt was rumored to be circling the lead. Sheridan hoped to direct it himself. But as corporate shakeups and a shifting entertainment landscape took hold — especially the rise of streaming during the pandemic — the film fell into limbo.

The stakes climbed even higher when AT&T acquired Warner Bros. and pivoted away from mid-budget theatrical films. At a projected $65–70 million, Fast was deemed too expensive for a streaming-exclusive release, and ultimately shelved. Amazon briefly considered reviving the project, but nothing materialized. For years, Fast was little more than a compelling “what-if” in Sheridan’s increasingly legendary portfolio.

But now, everything has changed.

Today, Sheridan is no longer just a respected screenwriter — he’s a Hollywood mogul. As the architect behind the Yellowstone empire and hits like Tulsa King, Lioness, and the upcoming Landman, Sheridan commands the kind of influence that can resurrect a shelved project and reshape the industry’s priorities. And that’s exactly what happened with Fast.

Warner Bros. Discovery, under CEO David Zaslav, has made Fast a top priority, even negotiating a special carve-out from Sheridan’s exclusive deal with Paramount — an almost unheard-of arrangement. This deal signals more than just the revival of a film: it marks a renewed commitment to theatrical storytelling at a time when the industry is still grappling with the streaming vs. cinema divide.

More importantly, it signals a reunion of creative forces. Sklenar, now fresh off critically acclaimed performances and an ever-growing fanbase, will lead the film. His intense emotional range and brooding screen presence promise to bring Sheridan’s character-driven writing to life in deeply affecting ways. With Richardson directing, fans can expect visual storytelling that’s both intimate and epic — much like the sweeping, emotionally raw cinematography that defined 1923.

The emotional stakes for this project are immense — both on and off screen. For Sheridan, Fast is more than a script he wrote years ago. It’s a passion project that’s endured every possible hurdle: studio shakeups, budget rejections, pandemic disruptions, and legal entanglements. And yet it’s finally breaking through — not because it got lucky, but because Sheridan and his collaborators refused to let it die.

It’s also a full-circle moment. In the years since Fast was first conceived, the film industry has changed dramatically. Studios are more cautious, audiences more fragmented, and content more disposable. But Sheridan’s success proves that when you craft compelling characters, anchor stories in emotional truth, and refuse to compromise vision for trends, people pay attention.

Fast isn’t just a movie — it’s a reminder of the power of creative perseverance.

And the creative team is just as stacked as the emotional weight it carries. David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford of Heyday Films are producing, with Sheridan and Jenny Wood of Bosque Ranch Productions expected to join. Warner Bros. Pictures Group execs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy praised Sheridan’s body of work as “astounding and unparalleled in sheer excellence,” reflecting just how much confidence the studio has in the team behind Fast.

While the plot remains a mystery, fans can expect all the hallmarks of a Sheridan thriller: morally complex characters, brutal honesty, emotionally layered tension, and a deeply human story wrapped inside an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. Whether it explores themes of justice, vengeance, or personal redemption — as his past works have — Fast is poised to challenge its characters, and its audience, in unexpected ways.

And now we have a date. After nearly 10 years of detours, Fast is officially racing to theaters on April 23, 2027.

That gives fans plenty of time to speculate, build anticipation, and revisit the works that made this project possible. From the dusty, blood-stained plains of Yellowstone to the haunting deserts of Sicario, Sheridan’s voice has always cut through the noise. Fast will be no different.

In an era when so many movies are made quickly, consumed quickly, and forgotten quickly, Fast represents something rare: a story worth fighting for — and waiting for.

So buckle up. The ride is only just beginning.

Stay tuned for more updates on Fast, Yellowstone, and every Sheridan-verse project on the horizon. This story is far from over.