NBCUniversal's Donna Langley says a film-focused pitch won Taylor Sheridan from Paramount
At Bloomberg's Screentime event, NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios chair Donna Langley said she approached Taylor Sheridan about film because his Paramount film deal was weaker than his TV deal. She also spoke about studio mergers, NBCU's planned spin-off and the box office outlook.
1 / 3
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios chair Donna Langley explained at Bloomberg's Screentime event on Thursday how she won "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan away from Paramount. VarietyLC “during her interview at Bloomberg’s Screentime event on Thursday afternoon” Read at Variety ↗ DeadlineN “during a Q&A at the Bloomberg Screentime conference” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2Langley said she "saw an opportunity" created by "disruption and instability" at companies going through change, which she described as a moment to look for a competitive advantage. DeadlineN “I think I saw an opportunity, with disruption and instability at moments where companies are going through something.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC ““There’s just a moment to kind of look around the marketplace and see if there’s a competitive advantage,” Langley said” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2She said her talks with Sheridan began with film, because his Paramount film deal was a first-look deal that "didn't have as many teeth to it as his television deal"; "one thing led to another." VarietyLC “it was a first-look deal. Didn’t have as many teeth to it as his television deal.” Read at Variety ↗ DeadlineN “we just got to talking, and one thing led to another.” Read at Deadline ↗
Left · 1Variety said Langley did not name Paramount's turmoil explicitly but was most likely referring to the yearlong Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. merger process, and that news of Sheridan's deal broke in late October 2025. VarietyLC “While never explicitly mentioning it, she was most likely referring to the turbulent yearlong merger process between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2The outlets differ on the deal's timing: Variety says the film part is expected to take effect in 2026 and the TV part after Sheridan fulfils his Paramount obligations in 2028, while Deadline calls it a five-year film and TV deal starting in early 2029. VarietyLC “The film component of Sheridan’s NBCUniversal deal is expected to take effect in 2026, while the TV component will follow after he fulfills his contractual obligations to Paramount in 2028.” Read at Variety ↗ DeadlineN “a new five-year film and television deal starting in early 2029” Read at Deadline ↗ Left · 1Sheridan began in film, writing "Sicario," "Hell or High Water" and "Wind River," before building a TV universe at Paramount from "Yellowstone" in 2018; he also wrote Paramount's upcoming "Call of Duty Movie" and "Sicario 3." VarietyLC “Sheridan broke out as a scribe for the big screen, writing films like “Sicario,” “Hell or High Water” and “Wind River.””“He wrote the scripts for Paramount’s upcoming “Call of Duty Movie” and “Sicario 3.”” Read at Variety ↗
Centre · 1Deadline reports Langley said a Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery combination "is bad for everything," especially for feature films, arguing that volume matters and that losing a studio would hurt, citing Fox-Disney. DeadlineN ““I think it is bad. I think it’s bad for everything,” she said bluntly, addressing the feature film market in particular.” Read at Deadline ↗ Centre · 1Deadline notes Paramount has committed in a legal settlement to release 30 theatrical films a year for two years after the merger and 32 for the following three, with the deal expected to close next Tuesday. DeadlineN “Paramount has committed to a legal settlement calling for the combined studios to release 30 theatrical films a year for the first two years post-merger, and 32 films for the following three years.” Read at Deadline ↗ Centre · 1Langley said she is "mostly excited and optimistic" about Comcast's plan to spin NBCU off with Sky as a standalone public company, expected by mid-2027, saying it will bring more pressure but make NBCU "masters of our own destiny." DeadlineN “I’m mostly excited and optimistic about it. I’m not fearful of it at all, actually.”“The split should be completed by mid-2027.” Read at Deadline ↗
Centre · 1She expects 2027 to have less potential for billion-dollar hits than this year, with 2028 "back again"; Universal is the top studio this year, with Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and Focus Features' "Obsession" (bought for $15 million, over $500 million worldwide) as standouts. DeadlineN “I don’t think it has as much potential for the kind of big billion-dollar hits like this year”“The studio acquired the film for $15 million and it went on to gross over $500 million worldwide.” Read at Deadline ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Variety treats it as a talent-poaching story, leading on Langley's film-deal pitch and Paramount's merger turmoil.
- Emphasis
- The Sheridan deal mechanics, his career and upcoming Paramount projects.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits Langley's views on the Paramount–WBD merger, the NBCU spin-off and the box office outlook.
- Charged language
- “Stealing”“snag”
- For example
-
“Donna Langley Says the Key to Stealing Taylor Sheridan Away From Paramount Was a Better Film Deal” — Variety
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Deadline presents a broad interview recap, leading on Langley's opposition to the Paramount–WBD merger, with Sheridan as one item.
- Emphasis
- Industry consolidation, the NBCU spin-off, the 2027 outlook and box office hits.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not connect Langley's remarks to Paramount's merger process as Variety does, and gives less on Sheridan's career.
- Charged language
- “bluntly”“juggernaut”
- For example
-
“NBCU’s Donna Langley On Industry Mergers, Taylor Sheridan, And The Road to 2027” — Deadline
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Langley spoke at Bloomberg's Screentime event.
- She said she saw an opportunity amid disruption and instability and started talking to Sheridan about film.
- Sheridan's Paramount film deal was a first-look deal with less force than his TV deal.
Where accounts differ
-
When Sheridan's NBCUniversal deal takes effect
- Left
- Variety: film component expected to take effect in 2026, TV component after his Paramount obligations end in 2028.
- Centre
- Deadline: a new five-year film and TV deal starting in early 2029.
Donna Langley person
Says she saw an opportunity during disruption at Paramount and began with film; opposes a Paramount–WBD merger and is optimistic about NBCU's spin-off.
“I think I saw an opportunity, with disruption and instability at moments where companies are going through something.” — Deadline
“I’m mostly excited and optimistic about it.” — Deadline
Left2 articles
-
Neutral Focuses on how Langley won Sheridan, with context on Paramount's merger turmoil.
-
Centre1 article
-
NBCU’s Donna Langley On Industry Mergers, Taylor Sheridan, And The Road to 2027
Neutral Wide-ranging interview recap covering mergers, Sheridan, the NBCU spin-off and box office.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 2 Oct 01:09 First VarietyLC Donna Langley Says the Key to Stealing Taylor Sheridan Away From Paramount Was a Better Film Deal: ‘I Saw an Opportunity’
- 2 Oct 02:16 +1h 7m DeadlineN NBCU’s Donna Langley On Industry Mergers, Taylor Sheridan, And The Road to 2027
- 2 Oct 03:34 +2h 25m The Hollywood ReporterLC Donna Langley on Landing Hollywood’s Heaviest Hitters, from Taylor Sheridan to Christopher Nolan
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.