Another Prequel to Yellowstone Takes a Trip Back in Time (Without a Delorian)

By this time, almost everyone has seen the immensely popular show “Yellowstone”. The series, set in Montana, has been an enormous critical and commercial success. Every girl wants to be Beth Dutton, and every guy wants to be Rip Wheeler. Except me. I was more of a Casey guy. Either way.

Well, never one to rest on his laurels, or miss an opportunity to make a buck, show creator, and part-time cast member Taylor Sheridan created a “Yellowstone” prequel called “1883”. The series, obviously set in 1883, helped to set up the “Yellowstone” storyline. It didn’t hurt that the show starred Tim McGraw and his real-life wife Faith Hill, as well as fan-favorite and conservative star Sam Elliott. The show was a bleak, depressing depiction of the trek west in the post-Civil War era of America. Honestly, I didn’t make it all the way through. Too damned depressing.

Don’t look now, but Sheridan is once again preparing to lock you down in front of the television this December, with yet another, even catchier titled “Yellowstone” prequel. Per Variety:

Taylor Sheridan’s new “Yellowstone” prequel at Paramount+ is taking a trip back in time.

It was announced Monday that the prequel series “1932” will now instead be known as “1923” and will take place in the new titular year as opposed to the former. Per the new logline, “1923” focuses on the Dutton family’s next two generations as they struggle to survive historic drought, lawlessness and prohibition, and an epidemic of cattle theft; all battled beneath the cloud of Montana’s great depression, which preceded the nation by almost a decade. The show will also touch on the end of World War I, which occurred in 1918.

Well, considering the era and Sheridan’s penchant for heaviness and drama, this should be a fun watch, no?

Taylor Sheridan’s #Yellowstone prequel has been renamed ‘1923’ to encompass the End of WWI (1918) and the start of Prohibition (1920), both of which will be included in the saga. The new series will star Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford https://t.co/3sN7ocOlsp

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 20, 2022

Of course, it’s not like anything in America in 2022 is a fun watch anyway, so maybe watching someone else’s fictional struggle will serve as a much-needed distraction, especially around the holidays.

The show serves as a followup to the “Yellowstone” prequel “1883,” which followed a generation of the Dutton family as they move across the country to settle in Montana. It debuted on Paramount+ in December 2021 and starred Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Sam Elliott. As previously announced, Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford are set to star in “1923.”

“1923” is set to debut on Paramount+ in December. Sheridan created the series and serves as executive producer along with John Linson, Art Linson, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, and Ben Richardson. MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, and Bosque Ranch Productions produce.

I am extremely interested to see what Harrison Ford has left in the tank as an actor. His off-the-screen hijinks in the last few years, including a plane crash in 2015 and almost colliding with another plane in 2017 makes one wonder how much he has left mentally. Of course, we wonder that daily about our own president, but I digress.

Hellen Mirren, the British actress is an odd choice in my view. Presuming she drops the Brit accent, why not just cast an American actress? Mary Steenburgen immediately comes to mind.

“1923” is one of nine shows Sheridan has in various states of production. In addition to “1923” and “Yellowstone,” he is also currently at work on a second season of “Mayor of Kingstown” starring Jeremy Renner, “Tulsa King” starring Sylvester Stallone “Lioness” starring Zoe Saldaña, and “1883: The Bass Reeves Story” starring David Oyelowo, to name just a few.

As previously mentioned, Sheridan apparently can’t take a day off, so we can all look forward to binge-watching another generation of Dutton’s this December, and likely watching tragedy after tragedy unfold as well if the previous prequel is any indicator. Enjoy!