Why Taylor Sheridan’s ‘The Madison’ isn’t a ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff

Taylor Sheridan’s “The Madison” starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell was initially supposed to be connected to his other hit show, “Yellowstone.” 

“I do not endeavor to be able to navigate the decision making process in Taylor’s brain,” series director and exec producer Christina Alexandra Voros exclusively tells Page Six, referring to the reason why it’s no longer billed as a spinoff. 

Voros, a frequent Sheridan collaborator who has been nominated for an Emmy, says that “The Madison” feels like a story “with its own identity” separate from the Kevin Costner cowboy drama, which aired from 2018 to 2024. 

“I don’t know what the intent was in the beginning and what it might have been or should have been,” says Voros. “But, it is very clear to me now that it is very much its own unique tone in the storytelling of Taylor’s universe.” 

Now streaming on Paramount+, “The Madison” follows the wealthy Clyburn family, including Stacy (Pfeiffer), her husband Preston (Russell) and their two adult daughters Abigail (Beau Garrett), and Paige (Elle Chapman), as the family grieves Preston’s sudden death in a plane crash. Despite getting killed off in the first episode, Russell still appears throughout the series in flashbacks. 

“Kurt is a ray of sunshine,” says Voros. “He always has a smile on his face and a good story to tell and easy friendliness about him. You feel like you’ve known him forever on the first day you meet him.”

For Russell, 75, and Pfeiffer, 67, “The Madison” marks their first time working together since the 1988 movie “Tequila Sunrise.” 

“You feel the love story. You feel the history. You feel the resonance of the relationship. That is the center point of the entire narrative,” Voros explains. 

“And I think you needed two actors who are that captivating with that much heart in order to really make the love story work. I can’t imagine doing it with two other actors.” 

Since Stacy is grieving her husband, Pfeiffer has a lot of emotionally intense scenes. 

“Michelle is such a remarkable performer. She’s so precise in her work and she is so ferocious in the way she allows herself to be vulnerable,” said Voros. 

“It is very hard to hit so many different notes of grief in one story, and I felt like she was constantly searching for the authenticity in each moment. And I don’t feel like we are ever repeating an emotional beat, which is really a staggering accomplishment.” 

Sheridan has an empire of shows, including “Mayor of Kingstown” starring Jeremy Renner, Sylvester Stallone’s “Tulsa King,” and “Landman” with lead Billy Bob Thornton.

As to how hands-on he was with “The Madison,” Voros, who directed all six episodes, says, “Taylor is very involved in terms of casting and watching dailies and the editorial process.”

Since she’s worked with him for years, she says, “he’s a very trusting, very loyal collaborator. I think there are a few of us who are lucky enough to work with him for a long time…we’re really given a lot of space.” 

“The Madison” Season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+, with the final three episodes out Saturday, March 21. The show has been renewed for a Season 2.