Michael Bay Open To Directing On Yellowstone, Says It Would Be Fun

Michael Bay says he’d like to direct on the series Yellowstone, admitting he would have fun working in that “world.” Bay, known for his high concept action movies such as Transformers and Armageddon, has developed a reputation as being a director for audiences, with a dynamic and intense visual style that separates him from other filmmakers. His latest film Ambulance, an action-thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, has so far received largely positive reviews, and will release in theaters on April 8.

Yellowstone follows the conflicts of the Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in Montana, and how they contend with family drama, a bordering Native American reservation, and land developers. The series is run by Taylor Sheridan, writer of Hell or High Water, Sicario, and Wind River, who writes every episode and directs many of them as well. Yellowstone currently has one spin-off, 1883 starring Sam Elliott, as well as 1932 and 6666, which are planned for release as Paramount+ originals.

In an interview with Collider, Bay said that he’d like to direct a few episodes of the Western series Yellowstone. He mentioned that, as a director, he likes creating his own “world” for his movies, and how the challenge of directing Yellowstone would be working within someone else’s world. Bay also admits it would be “fun” to work within the aesthetic of the Western genre, something he hasn’t done before. Read his quote on the subject below:

“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.”

Bay hasn’t directed for television before, with his attention being purely on making films, and it would be interesting to see how his distinct visual style manifests for a television series that is both slower-paced and more deliberately plotted than his usual comfort zone. With Sheridan’s vision for Yellowstone being wholly his own, it would be up to him to decide if Bay would be a good fit for the series. However, with so many Yellowstone spin-offs coming up in the franchise, perhaps there’s room for Bay’s contributions beyond Yellowstone itself.

Bay long ago figured out what kinds of movies he wants to make, and his aggressive, fast-paced editing and love of big-budget action set pieces certainly doesn’t fit with Yellowstone‘s look and feel. However, Bay himself admits it would be different for him, and the director should perhaps be applauded for wanting to try something new. Whether or not Bay joins the Western series’ creative team at any point, or whether this was just a passing thought, the director would certainly make an interesting addition to Yellowstone, and definitely make his episodes worth watching.