Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1883’ To Star Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill

Mike Fleming Jr
·4 min read
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Big news on the Yellowstone prequel series.

Paramount+ and MTV Entertainment Studios have set Sam Elliott to star with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in 1883, the Taylor Sheridan-created prequel to the network’s signature hit drama Yellowstone. 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch Productions will serve as production partners on the series. The trio seems just about perfect for a continuation of the saga.

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1883 follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana. 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 respective patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton family. Additional cast to be announced.

“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.”

Said McGraw: “This is truly a dream job. Taylor has found a way of storytelling that brilliantly creates these epic dramas and family sagas with so much depth and creativity. The Duttons are tremendous characters, and it’s so thrilling to be able to bring them to life. As a kid growing up riding horses, you think about dream jobs like this, and I am just so excited to work with this amazing cast and crew.”

Added Hill: “This is the opportunity of a lifetime. The Duttons are a formidable family, and it is an absolute dream to bring such a strong female character like Margaret Dutton to life. I am humbled and honored to work with Taylor and his entire team.”

Said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, MTV Entertainment Group: “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+. We are thrilled to have Sam, Tim and Faith as the stars of Taylor Sheridan’s new series exclusively for Paramount+ around the world.”

David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios, said: “We are thrilled to have Academy Award nominee and acting legend Sam and hugely talented, award-winning artists Faith and Tim all join the Taylor Sheridan universe. Taylor’s proven his immense capability of creating captivating characters and immersive worlds and there’s no exception here with 1883 and Sam, Faith and Tim’s characters. We are looking forward to this further expansion of the world of Yellowstone and bringing it to audiences everywhere.”

Elliott received an Academy Award nomination and a National Board of Review Award for his performance in A Star Is Born. His numerous other film credits include The Big Lebowski, Tombstone, Road House and The Contender. On television, his credits include a Critics Choice Award-winning performance in Justified as well as Parks & Recreation, The Ranch and the upcoming MacGruber. He is also the golden-voiced voice of Coors, which Yellowstone viewers know as “yellow jackets,” which is the way the cowboys on the Dutton ranch order the beers at the bar.

McGraw is a Grammy-winning singer, author, and actor who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and dominated the charts with 44 #1 singles. His previous acting credits include Friday Night Lights and the Academy Award nominated film The Blind Side.

Hill is a five-time Grammy-winning artist who has performed twice at both the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards, sold over 40 million albums globally, and celebrated multiple #1 singles worldwide across all formats. She most recently starred in Dixieland.

1883 will be executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari.

As Deadline revealed recently, Yellowstone and the saga of the Dutton clan in contemporary times returns for Season 4 in November.

Elliott is repped by Gersh and Berwick & Kovacik; McGraw and Hill are repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

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