Fans of Taylor Sheridan‘s western thriller Wind River have been waiting for an update about its sequel for years. Since its announcement in 2022, the project has been held in secrecy, with only casting details becoming public. However, while we wait for an official release date (production wrapped in 2023), one of the film’s stars has decided to share more details. Jason Clarke has confirmed the reasons behind the delays, and also claims that Wind River: The Next Chapter is an “extraordinary” movie.
2017’s Wind River was led by MCU stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, who played law enforcement agents trying to solve a murder on a Native American reservation. The film also starred Graham Greene, Gil Birmingham, Kelsey Asbille, Martin Sensmeier, Teo Briones, and Jon Bernthal. Written and directed by Sheridan, Wind River was critically acclaimed, even if it was released in the middle of the Weinstein scandal, which somewhat affected its theatrical run.
A sequel to Wind River was announced years later, with Kari Skogland taking over as director, and Patrick Massett and John Zinman tasked with writing the screenplay. The cast was also announced at the time, with Birmingham and Sensmeier the only actors returning for the standalone follow-up. Joining them are Scott Eastwood, Alan Ruck, Kali Reis, and Jason Clarke, among others.
While promoting his Apple TV+ series The Last Frontier, Clarke spoke to Screen Rant about the long-gestating project Wind River: The Next Chapter. While he didn’t share much about the current status, he did say that the film has been plagued by rights issues, and this has affected the release date announcement. He also hyped the sequel as a “lot more cinematic” than the first:
“It’s extraordinary. It’s set within the Native community. Martin Sensmeier is the lead in that. It’s got an insane cast. It’s a beautiful movie.
“It’s been locked up with the legalities, but now it’s about to come out soon. It’s going to surprise you, and it’s a lot more beautiful. It’s a lot more cinematic. That was when I saw it about a year and a half ago.”
‘Wind River’ Shows Taylor Sheridan’s Film Prowess: Can Part 2 Work Without His Involvement?
As exciting as this news sounds for fans of Sheridan’s work, we’re also sad to report that Wind River: The Next Chapter doesn’t feature the Yellowstone creator as director or writer. There’s no indication that he’s involved in any capacity.
This brings the question: can Wind River 2 work without Sheridan’s involvement? After all, the mastermind behind the Yellowstone universe was responsible for writing and directing the first movie. Not only that, but the movie largely worked because of its two fascinating leads. What set Wind River apart from others in the genre is that Sheridan also did an excellent job of world-building and developing rich supporting characters. Some of them only appear in a single scene, and still feel well-developed.
Skogland may take inspiration from this. Chip and Martin Hanson were great characters in the first film, but the supporting cast in the sequel speaks for itself. Wind River 2 could work, but those backing the project still face a challenge in trying to capture Sheridan’s vision for the highly anticipated sequel.