Sam Elliott Made a Major Hair Change for the New 'Yellowstone' Prequel, '1883'

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Saddle up, Yellowstone fans: There's even more Dutton family drama coming our way.

Shortly after Yellowstone's incredibly successful third season, Paramount+ announced an all-new prequel series that will show how the Dutton family got their start in Montana. Aptly titled 1883, the show will take Yellowstone fans back more than 130 years, giving deeper insight into the man that John Dutton is and why he loves his family's ranch so much.

Keep reading to find out everything we know about 1883 so far.

When is the release date for 1883?

Luckily, you won't have to wait too much longer to watch the new show: 1883 will premiere on Sunday, December 19 on Paramount+.

Who will be in the 1883 cast?

So far, we know that Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Sam Elliott will lead the show. Country's biggest power couple will star as James and Margaret Dutton, the family’s patriarch and matriarch. Elliott, who isn't new to the world of westerns and cowboys, will play Shea Brennan, who Variety describes as a "tough cowboy with some underlying melancholy to be revealed as he guides the emigrants from Texas to Montana." We also know that Tom Hanks will play "a sympathetic three-star general, inspired by General George Meade" in the show's premiere, per Deadline. Fans should expect to see several surprise guest stars over the first season.

The show filmed in Fort Worth, Texas. McGraw shared photos of his character's leather journal and bullet-ripped jeans, telling fans that he's "gettin in the groove for 1883."

It looks like Elliott has undergone the most hair-raising transformation, though. Nic Sheridan posted a cute snap of her hanging out with the famed actor, but fans couldn't help but notice his impressive shoulder-length locks. At least this also confirms that his mustache is here to stay!

While Yellowstone fans may hope for Kevin Costner sightings, it's highly unlikely, given that the show is placed more than a century earlier. We won't rule out any flash-forward scenes with Kevin, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes or Wes Bentley, though.

Any spoilers about the show?

So, about that epic teaser during the Super Bowl. In the 10-second spot, snow whips through the mountains and a mysterious voice says, "I don't care if you live or die, but should you live, you tell 'em about me."

Shortly after the Super Bowl, Paramount+ offered a closer look at the series with commentary from the show's producer. "When we say the 'wild west,' what that really means is a west beyond the reach of the rule of law. It really is the beginning of an empire before it was an empire," Sheridan says, laying out the foundation for the Yellowstone prequel.

When Paramount+ initially announced the show, they wrote that 1883 follows the Duttons as "they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America." Although we know that the Duttons eventually became the owners of the largest contiguous ranch in the United States, the prequel touches on life before fortune. "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," the statement reads.

How can I watch and stream 1883 when it comes out?

Unlike Yellowstone, 1883 won't air on Paramount Network. Instead, it'll be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+. Along with 1883, users will be able to stream new and existing programming from channels like CBS, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV.

Subscription plans start at $4.99 a month, but you can test it out with a seven-day free trial. The only catch: If you cut the cable cord and want to stream Yellowstone and 1883, you'll have to splurge on Peacock (Yellowstone's exclusive streaming service) and Paramount+. No word if this will change in the years to come.

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