He calls out the Hollywood machine for turning masterpieces into “mediocre” products, lamenting how Weinstein’s meddling crushed what could have been a majestic Western epic. “For anyone to dedicate that amount of time and energy and passion… and then not be in control of the finished product, I think that’s the resistance,” Sheridan recently told Deadline. He penned and directed Wind River with The Weinstein Company and experienced firsthand the toxic fallout when Weinstein’s empire reportedly imploded amid scandal.
Sheridan’s powerful film risked being swallowed by Weinstein’s disgrace. But he refused to let the film and its vital message fade quietly.