A few months ago, CBS/Viacom announced a huge expansion of their Yellowstone universe. The hit series would branch out into prequels and spinoffs to expand on the world. One of the most anticipated of those was the prequel series, 1883, coming to Paramount+. Now we have our first wave of casting announcements.
Sam Elliot, who I always associate with his brilliant performance in Tombstone, is the most notable name from the acting world. No strangers to the screen themselves, country music superstars (and real life husband and wife), Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, will also be joining the cast. According to the press release we received, Elliott is set to play Shea Brennan, a tough as nails, handsome cowboy with immense sadness in his past. He has the herculean task of guiding a group from Texas to Montana, and he does not suffer fools. McGraw and Hill will portray James and Margaret Dutton, the patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton family, respectively. More cast members will be announced at a later date.
"It all starts with the writing, and Taylor Sheridan is a brilliant writer," said Elliott. "I think the western genre speaks clearly to both of us. The classic struggles of man against man, man against nature, and man against himself. It’s all there, in 1883, and I’m honored to be a part of it."
"Yellowstone’ is a massive hit show with tens of millions of fans - with ‘1883,” we are taking those fans back to the origin story, and in the process, turning the ‘Yellowstone’ world into a global hit franchise to fuel the growth of Paramount+," said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, MTV Entertainment Group. "We are thrilled to have Sam, Tim and Faith as the stars of Taylor Sheridan’s new series exclusively for Paramount+ around the world."
1883 will be executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari. The series currently does not have a release date, but keep checking back for updates.
Photo Credit: From L to R: Sam Elliott (Courtesy of Deadline/REX/Shutterstock); Faith Hill; Tim McGraw