I’ll admit, when I first heard a western series was topping the budget charts, I did a double take. After all, lavish fantasy epics usually stake that claim. Yet here we are, talking about a saga of cowboys and wide-open plains costing as much as a Hollywood blockbuster each week.
Filming Across Continents
Rather than relying on green screens, the creators opted for sweeping natural landscapes from Montana’s rugged ranches to the sun-drenched plains of Texas—and even ventured to South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania for pivotal desert sequences. This globe-trotting production explains why each 90-minute instalment carries a budget of around $30 million—comparable to many feature films. Paramount+ clearly saw the value, greenlighting an eight-episode second season before the first had even aired, signalling immense confidence in the show’s cinematic scale and star power.
Sheridan’s Stake in the Budget
Behind the camera, creator Taylor Sheridan has found a clever way to keep costs in-house. By filming on his own ranches and using his personal herds of cattle and horses, he minimises visual effects expenses—while pocketing a tidy sum each week of shooting. Sheridan’s insistence on authentic horse-riding performances led him to train actors at his Texas property, further intertwining the ranch owner’s interests with the production’s coffers. As Sheridan explained in an interview with Deadline, “When you commission episodes costing between $30 and $35 million each, asking for more means writing a cheque for nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.”
Why a Western Commands Such Fees
At first glance, a tale of timber barons and frontier families might not scream “big spender.” But backed by A-list talent—Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren each command around $1 million per episode—and a meticulous approach to location shooting, the production escalates to epic proportions. Sheridan’s preference for minimal CGI ensures every tumble of dust and snap of a lariat feels genuine, justifying the eye-watering price tag. This isn’t your grandfather’s western: it’s a high-stakes, character-driven drama that blends authenticity with blockbuster ambition.
From my own time on a small Texas working ranch, I’ve seen firsthand how unpredictable weather and remote locations can stretch schedules—and budgets. That insight makes me all the more impressed that the team pulled off filming in three different continents without skimping on quality. If this series proves anything, it’s that even the most traditional genres can command a premium when crafted with passion and a willingness to push boundaries.
