The original Wind River has a lot in common with Yellowstone. There is a lot of inner politics going on in both the movie and the TV show.

They also highlight the difficulties associated with reservations and the land ownership of Native American tribes. While Wind River has a more personal mystery, both are neo-Westerns.

 

 

Wind River and Yellowstone also share several actors. The biggest of these is Gil Birmingham, who starred as Martin Hanson, the father of the murdered young woman in Wind River. He had a lead role in Yellowstone as Thomas Rainwater.

The late Graham Greene played Officer Ben Shoyo in Wind River, and he appeared in the Yellowstone prequel 1883 as Spotted Eagle. Tokala Black Elk stars in Yellowstone as Sam Stands Alone, and he appeared in Wind River as Sam Littlefeather.

Hugh Dillon, who played Curtis in Wind River, starred as Sheriff Donnie Haskell in Yellowstone for four seasons. James Jordan played the villain Pete in Wind River and the character Steve Hendon in Yellowstone. Taylor Sheridan enjoys reusing actors, which helps tie his movies and TV shows together.

Wind River is getting a second life right now, thanks to Netflix, where it has surged up the charts since its release. It might be a mixture of Taylor Sheridan writing and directing the film, and the fact that it stars two popular Marvel Cinematic Universe actors in Renner (Hawkeye) and Olsen (Scarlet Witch).

Shockingly, there was a sequel in the works without Taylor Sheridan’s involvement, which seems strange. He isn’t on board as a producer, and the two main stars, Renner and Olsen, won’t return. The only big-name star returning is Gil Birmingham as Martin Hanson, the father of the murdered woman from the first movie.

Kari Skogland signed on to direct the film, although the last movie she directed was in 2008 with Fifty Dead Men Walking. Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood, and Alan Ruck are part of the cast. With that said, filming took place in 2023, but as of 2025, actor Kali Reis said there was no update about its release.

It seems that Wind River 2 might be different from the original, according to one actor who stars in both, which is slightly disappointing. Gil Birmingham said that it’s more of a thriller, and he is sure that might be what is holding up its release because it’s hard to categorize.