Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+
Corralling allYellowstonefans, because the beloved neo-Western has a prequel series titled1883, which premiered Dec. 19, 2021, on Paramount+.
Telling the origin story of the Dutton family,1883follows their 19th-century ancestors James and Margaret Dutton as they embark on their wild journey from Texas to Montana through the Great Plains. You can see lawless lands, bloody gunfights, danger and dust (lots of it) in the trailer alone.
“My family’s meeting me here tonight and we’re heading north, and we’ll keep heading north till I find a country that’s worth the journey,“James says in the clip.
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Hill and McGraw have been married for over two decades, but1883markedthe first time they appeared on-screen as husband and wife. McGraw told PEOPLE, “It’s been incredible to do scenes together and to watch [Hill] work.”
Although they made a point to keep their real marriage separate from their characters on the show, McGraw joked that there is some crossover.
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“We had this scene where she has to slap me,” he explained to PEOPLE. “I was expecting a finger slap but it was a paw to the jaw. There was 25 years of pent-up aggression going on!”
Taylor Sheridanis the creator of1883— but it wasn’t his first rodeo! Sheridan was the co-creator ofYellowstonealongside John Linson. Similar toYellowstone, in1883, Sheridan strived to portray the authenticity of the settings. (He also works as a cattle ranch owner in Weatherford, Texas — so he’s the real deal!)
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“I don’t build a world with visual effects,” Sheridan toldEntertainment Weekly. “I go shoot these corners of the world that people haven’t seen. … 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.”
We can’t help but tip our hats to the cast and crew for enduring the conditions they were faced with while filming — something that McGraw described toEWas “super dusty and super hot.”
“Although it looks amazing, it’s terrible. I think I have a few ribs floating around in my body,” Hill told the outlet. She added about the experience, “You learn how to pick a tree, squat down, and do your business.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the Paramount+ series.
What is1883about?
1883follows the Duttons' great-grandparents, James and Margaret Dutton, as they journey from Texas to Montana in search of a better life. It’s a stark retelling of Western expansion as the family attempts to flee the poverty-stricken lives they once lived.
The series serves as a prequel toYellowstoneand sets the scene for the prosperous yet dysfunctional family, includingKevin Costner’s tough patriarch John Dutton, at the heart of the show set in the present day.
Who’s in the cast of1883?
In addition to McGraw and Hill, the series is stacked with a star-studded cast.Sam Elliotplays tough cowboy Shea Brennan, and four-time Emmy winner Eric Nelsen plays cowboy Ennis.
The cast also includes Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Audie Rick, Emma Malouff, Dawn Olivieri, Marc Rissmann, Anna Fiamora, James Landry Hébert, Alex Fine, Gratiela Brancusi, Nichole Galicia, Stephanie Nur, Amanda Jaros, Noah Le Gros and Martin Sensmeier.
The cast members grew close to one other during production, and have even learned a few things along the way. For example, Garrett revealed that his castmate McGraw was always singing on set — and came up with songs based on his surroundings.
“He’ll sing, ‘the horse is angry today’ in a jingle,“Garrett explained to PEOPLE at the1883premiere. “You know, he’s a singer and that’s what singers do, they sing about their own stuff and everything else.”
How did the cast prepare for1883?
The cast was required to attend Cowboy Camp ahead of production, which taught them everything there is to know about cowboy culture.
Nelsen told PEOPLE, “I thought I had skills and I got there and [1883creator Taylor Sheridan] told me what I didn’t have. There was still so much to learn. So I kind of just kept to myself and just learned from the best.”
The actor grew up around horses and felt confident about the portrayal of his character prior to camp, but he explained that the experience humbled him.
“I had never ridden at the capacity and the intensity that I have on this show,” he added. “So I think it brought my level of cowboy from five to about a 20.”
Are there guest stars on1883?
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Billy Bob Thorntonplayed Marshal Jim Courtright, a strict officer who “isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty,” per the network’s official description.
Where can you watch1883?
UnlikeYellowstone, the entirety of1883did not air on the Paramount Network. Only the first two episodes aired on the channel, following the Dec. 19 and Dec. 26 episodes ofYellowstone. That way, fans got a taste of the show before committing to the network’s streaming platform, Paramount+ (where the rest of the series ran).
source: people.com
