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The Dutton Family was first introduced to the audience in the show Yellowstone and since then the series has made a home in people’s hearts and the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan seems to be unstoppable. The journey to Yellowstone's premiere wasn’t easy, and the popular TV series was rejected several times before it found a home with the Paramount Network. What makes Yellowstone stand out is its phenomenal blend of Western elements with drama, even drawing comparisons to The Sopranos in its idea and scope. Sheridan, the prolific writer, director, producer, and actor, created Paramount's blockbuster hit and has continued to shape the world of the Duttons ever since. Sheridan just extended his multi-year contract with the studio and currently has nine series airing or in development and one of them is the newest prequel, formerly titled 1932 but now renamed 1923.
1923 isn’t the only prequel associated with Yellowstone that Sheridan has been involved in. 1883 is another Yellowstone prequel TV series that premiered in December 2021 and tells the tale of the Dutton family's acquisition of the property that would eventually become the Yellowstone Ranch. That series shows the Dutton ancestors making the perilous journey to Montana and setting up their family ranch. 1883's ten-episode first season came to an end on February 27, 2022, with 1923 serving as a sequel to that story. 1923 is produced by the same production companies that brought us Yellowstone and 1883, MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, with John Linson, Art Linson, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, and Ben Richardson serving alongside Taylor Sheridan as executive producers.
Yellowstone made its fifth season debut on Sunday, November 13, 2022, with a two-hour action-packed season premiere, resulting in the series' highest overnight debut to date. With a double-digit increase across all segments, the Season 5 debut attracted 12.1 million live-plus-same-day viewers in total. All the hype for Yellowstone thus naturally brings attention to 1923, which is gearing up to capture the audience's attention with its star-studded cast and the same kind of drama that we are used to witnessing in Sheridan’s work as another generation of Duttons struggle to endure economic hardship, sickness, and drought in the untamed Mountain West of the early 20th century. Here's everything we know about the series.
Editor's Note: This article was last updated on December 10 with the latest trailer.
When and Where Is 1923 Releasing?
For US and Canadian viewers, the series will premiere on Paramount+ on December 18, 2022, making the Christmas countdown just a little bit better. Fans in the UK and Australia need to wait just a day more to enjoy all the thrilling scenes on December 19. 1923 is said to have two seasons, each with eight episodes, although no additional global debut dates have been announced. The remaining seven episodes of Season 1 will be released weekly on the streaming service.
Is There a Trailer For 1923?
During the premiere of Yellowstone's fifth season, the first teaser trailer for 1923 was released. In addition to showing viewers a first look at the series' characters, the teaser also featured a familiar voice. The new series was introduced by Elsa (Isabel May) from 1883, who narrates over a montage of intense shootouts and dramatic incidents, noting that the Dutton Family has long been cursed with violence. The new faces, both Duttons and strangers, are dramatically introduced in the trailer, and it is evident that the period in which the series is set—during which Prohibition, the Great Depression, and the Western Expansion all take place—was one in which the family faced significant difficulties. The trailer gives off an air of grimy lawlessness, and we can expect the Duttons to carry on the legacy started by James and Margaret Dutton in 1883. A full-length trailer for the series was released recently as well and you can watch it in the player below. It introduces Timothy Dalton as the intimidating Donald Whitfield and teases a war between Whitfield and the Dutton's over their land.
What Is the Plot of 1923?
James and Margaret Dutton (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill) established the family ranch in Montana forty years ago but only ten years later, in 1893, James lost his life chasing horse thieves. Now his brother Jacob (Harrison Ford) is managing the ranch with the assistance of his wife Cara (Helen Mirren), his nephew John Dutton Sr. (James Badge Dale), and John's son Jack. This is how we are introduced to a new generation of Duttons who are establishing a life for themselves in Paradise Valley, which is anything but paradise. 1923, much like Yellowstone, continues the story of the Dutton family as they fight over land and power within the family. The series will focus on actual issues Americans faced at the time, such as the conclusion of the Prohibition era, the impending Great Depression, and an increase in cattle thieving.
Additionally, the series will feature some historical narrative elements that are relevant to the present, such as the occurrence of a pandemic. It isn't specified which one but the Spanish Flu first appeared in 1918 so that could be it. The series may also be impacted by the end of World War I in 1918. While the majority of the story's specifics are still unknown, the series will be primarily about Cara and Jacob Dutton and how they sustain themselves and focus on the hard work and investment they have put into the future and their family. The Dutton won’t only be facing physical challenges but also dealing with moral dilemmas as they interact with local ranchers they call ‘’sheep men.’’ There also appears to be a parallel storyline that centers on young indigenous women who are compelled to enroll in boarding institutions run by the government. In real life, this practice was an attempt to homogenize Native American girls by removing them from their culture and language.
Who's In the Cast of 1923?
1923 boasts a stellar cast, with legendary actor Harrison Ford playing Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton and the current patriarch of the Yellowstone Ranch. Joining him as his wife is the renowned Helen Mirren, who plays Cara Dutton, the fierce matriarch of the Dutton family. Other cast members include James Badge Dale as John Dutton Sr., Jacob Dutton’s oldest nephew, and his right-hand man. Marley Shelton is playing Emma Dutton, wife of John Dutton Sr. and the mother of Jack Dutton, who is portrayed by Darren Mann.
Brandon Sklenar will be playing the role of Spencer, Jacob's other nephew. The brilliant British actor Timothy Dalton is all set to play Donald Whitfield, a strong, self-assured man who exudes wealth and the lack of compassion necessary to obtain it. He is ominous, menacing, and accustomed to getting his way. Banner Creighton, the chief of the neighborhood sheep men with a Scottish accent, will be played by Jerome Flynn.
In other roles, there's Sebastian Roché as Father Renaud, Michelle Randolph as Elizabeth Strafford, Brian Geraghty as Zane, Aminah Nieves as Teonna Rainwater, Julia Schlaepfer as Alexandra, Robert Patrick as Sheriff William McDowell, and Jennifer Ehle as Sister Mary, among others.
More Prequels and Spinoffs of Yellowstone That Are in Development
1883: The Bass Reeves Story: This one is a spin-off of 1883 that was announced in May 2022 but unlike other spin-offs, the show's main protagonist isn't one of the Duttons. This spin-off is based on Bass Reeves, a real lawman of the Wild West, and he will be the main subject of the show. Renowned cowboy Bass Reeves served as the first Black US Marshal west of the Mississippi. It has also been suggested that he served as the inspiration for the Lone Ranger. Reeves will be played by David Oyelowo, best recognized for his leading performance in Selma.
6666: 6666 (pronounced "four sixes") is another spin-off that seems to take place in the present, concurrent to Yellowstone, in contrast to Yellowstone's other numerically-named spinoffs, which are grounded in various historical eras. The series was originally teased in February 2021, before Yellowstone's fourth season, and described as "where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing." 6666 will diverge from the Montana plot and depict the narrative of an actual ranch in West Texas with the same name. The eponymous ranch appeared in Yellowstone's fourth season, when Jimmy (Jefferson White), a well-loved character, was assigned to work there. This sparked widespread speculation that Jimmy might play a significant role in the spinoff, but no other information has been revealed yet.