Everything to Know About the ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel Series ‘1883’

Credit: Courtesy Paramount Plus/YouTube

Everything to Know About the 'Yellowstone' Prequel Series '1883'

History in the making. Following the success of Yellowstone, fans are in for even more stories about the Dutton family with the upcoming prequel series, 1883. Ahead of the show's debut, the official trailer showcased the star-studded cast that will be diving into the origin story of the Dutton ranch and how it came to exist in Montana. "I heard a thousand stories, but no one could describe this place. The road west is filled with failures," the narrator said in the prequel trailer on November 7. "It was a dream, and the dream was coming true. We are the land of no mercy now." The video offered viewers a glimpse at the highly anticipated series with scenes of migrating settlers and dangerous fights for land. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were also seen in their roles as Dutton ancestors in 1883. The duo, who will be playing husband and wife in the prequel, have previously opened up about their excitement with the project. "Finally the day has come when I get to share some exciting news with you!" Hill wrote alongside an Instagram video showcasing the 1883 script in August. "I will be playing Margaret Dutton, the original matriarch of the Dutton family in the Yellowstone prequel 1883. Just wait, you have never seen anything like this!" McGraw, for his part, also shared a video via Instagram where he said, "We're pretty excited about it. Faith and I get to star alongside Sam Elliott. I mean, goodness gracious." [jwplayer N4EV1X5m-zhNYySv2] Ahead of the period drama's premiere, the record producer detailed his experience making 1883 a reality in Texas. "It's super dusty and super hot. There's no way around it," McGraw explained to Entertainment Weekly in November. "At the same time, it's like every kid's fantasy to do something like this, to put your chaps on, your cowboy hat, and your gun holsters every day. Then you get on a horse and try to survive this journey." His wife revealed that the filming process came with its own set of complications. "Although it looks amazing, it's terrible. I think I have a few ribs floating around in my body," Hill noted to EW. "This is real work. I was raised by Edna Earl and Ted Perry, and they believed the best way to teach a child was to get your hands in the dirt. That's basically this in a nutshell. I think so many actors are drawn to [cocreator] Taylor [Sheridan]'s writing because he is portraying the story in a way that was lived. I gained so much respect for cowboys." For Sheridan, his approach to introducing the Duttons was all realistic storytelling. "I don't build a world with visual effects," Sheridan added. "I go shoot these corners of the world that people haven't seen. The audience today is so experienced. They've seen so much, so to move the audience becomes more and more difficult. It's incredibly expensive and very difficult. But we can do it as John Ford did it. When you need 50 wagons, you're going to see 50 [real] wagons." Scroll down for everything to know about 1883: [podcast_block]

Credit: Courtesy Paramount Plus/YouTube

Everything to Know About the 'Yellowstone' Prequel Series '1883'

History in the making. Following the success of Yellowstone, fans are in for even more stories about the Dutton family with the upcoming prequel series, 1883. Ahead of the show's debut, the official trailer showcased the star-studded cast that will be diving into the origin story of the Dutton ranch and how it came to exist in Montana. "I heard a thousand stories, but no one could describe this place. The road west is filled with failures," the narrator said in the prequel trailer on November 7. "It was a dream, and the dream was coming true. We are the land of no mercy now." The video offered viewers a glimpse at the highly anticipated series with scenes of migrating settlers and dangerous fights for land. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were also seen in their roles as Dutton ancestors in 1883. The duo, who will be playing husband and wife in the prequel, have previously opened up about their excitement with the project. "Finally the day has come when I get to share some exciting news with you!" Hill wrote alongside an Instagram video showcasing the 1883 script in August. "I will be playing Margaret Dutton, the original matriarch of the Dutton family in the Yellowstone prequel 1883. Just wait, you have never seen anything like this!" McGraw, for his part, also shared a video via Instagram where he said, "We're pretty excited about it. Faith and I get to star alongside Sam Elliott. I mean, goodness gracious." [jwplayer N4EV1X5m-zhNYySv2] Ahead of the period drama's premiere, the record producer detailed his experience making 1883 a reality in Texas. "It's super dusty and super hot. There's no way around it," McGraw explained to Entertainment Weekly in November. "At the same time, it's like every kid's fantasy to do something like this, to put your chaps on, your cowboy hat, and your gun holsters every day. Then you get on a horse and try to survive this journey." His wife revealed that the filming process came with its own set of complications. "Although it looks amazing, it's terrible. I think I have a few ribs floating around in my body," Hill noted to EW. "This is real work. I was raised by Edna Earl and Ted Perry, and they believed the best way to teach a child was to get your hands in the dirt. That's basically this in a nutshell. I think so many actors are drawn to [cocreator] Taylor [Sheridan]'s writing because he is portraying the story in a way that was lived. I gained so much respect for cowboys." For Sheridan, his approach to introducing the Duttons was all realistic storytelling. "I don't build a world with visual effects," Sheridan added. "I go shoot these corners of the world that people haven't seen. The audience today is so experienced. They've seen so much, so to move the audience becomes more and more difficult. It's incredibly expensive and very difficult. But we can do it as John Ford did it. When you need 50 wagons, you're going to see 50 [real] wagons." Scroll down for everything to know about 1883: [podcast_block]

Credit: Courtesy Paramount Plus/YouTube

The Premiere Date

1883 will be released on Paramount+ Sunday, December 19. 

Credit: Courtesy Paramount Plus/YouTube

The Cast

Elliott, McGraw, Hill, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett and Billy Bob Thornton are set to star in the series.

Rounding out the cast are Marc Rissmann, Audie Rick, Eric Nelsen and James Landry Hebert. 

Credit: Courtesy Paramount Plus/YouTube

The Story

According to a press release, 1883 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."

Credit: Courtesy Paramount Plus/YouTube

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw's Television Debut

During an interview with EW, McGraw teased what it was like working with his wife on their first TV project together.

"The season is the journey," he shared in November. "To see my beautiful wife on horseback, firing guns, and having dirt all over her face, I just sit in awe. She's a strong woman, anyway. Taylor said early on to me, 'Man, you'll just get on that horse. You're not scared of anything.' I said, 'I'm scared of one thing. She's right over there.'"

Credit: Jim Smeal/Shutterstock

Why Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Joined

It came down to the material, according to Hill. The couple were fans of Sheridan’s 2017 film, Wind River, so when they got the script for 1883, they knew they couldn’t pass it up.

“It begins with a song,” the “Way You Love Me” singer told Parade in December 2021. “If the song is right, then you don’t give it a second thought, because writing is a real craft that should be respected We read the material and we were like, ‘How can we not do it?’”

Meanwhile, taking on the project has only made McGraw appreciate his wife and her talent even more.

“The best advantage to being around Faith so much is that I can go to bed with her and wake up with her every morning,” he told Parade. “We feel fortunate that we can be together so much. But to do this series is really special. I can’t imagine doing it without my wife."