Michael Bay on Why He’d Be Willing to Direct Yellowstone
46Michael Bay is back in action with his new film Ambulance, his first directing effort since 2019’s 6 Underground, and he’s never been better. Collider’s own Steve Weintraub was lucky enough to sit down with the famed director recently at our speical early screening of Ambulance in Los Angeles, where he delivered a thrilling ninety-minute Q&A session discussing the new film, his career, and much more.
But when asked what action films or other projects he’s been into lately that aren’t his own, Bay said he’s been loving Yellowstone, the Western series from creator Taylor Sheridan about the in, outs, and drama of one family on a ranch in Montana. Currently standing as one of the most popular shows on television, it’s no surprise that the series caught Bay’s eye, particularly with its heavy-hitting cast, including Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley.
When asked if he would direct an episode of the show if he were asked, Bay expressed interest in the idea, despite his desire to create whole new worlds as a director, rather than diving into someone else’s:
“Y’know…I would not want to do [something like] Star Wars 5 because…the greatest, the toughest thing for a director to do is to create the world, and I like creating the world. But [directing Yellowstone] might be fun. The horses, and the Stetson hats, and the beautiful landscape…it’s a fun show.”
Seeing Bay’s take on a show like Yellowstone would be interesting, considering not only the show’s expansive scale but its genre — Bay has never directed a Western before in his career. But with his knack for drama and action, his spin on the tale of the Duttons could be something audiences find fascinating.
It’s entirely possible that Bay could end up on the list of directors for the acclaimed series, despite his words being just wishful thinking. Sheridan and fellow director Stephen Kay have directed most of the show’s episodes thus far, but both the show and its spinoff 1883 have not shied away from featuring some serious star power. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill lead 1883, which has featured Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, and Billy Bob Thornton as guest stars, while Sheridan himself has appeared in multiple episodes of Yellowstone.
It would certainly be an interesting turn of events to see Bay go from a film like Ambulance, which builds its entire premise on the hustle and bustle of life in a major city, to a show like Yellowstone, which while it certains delivers Bay-level drama on its own, is much more quaint and rural.
Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock now, while Ambulance hits theaters on April 8. Check out the clip from our chat with Bay above and look for a lot more from our exclusive Q&A with him soon.
#Yellowstone #MichaelBay #KevinCostner
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