On December 19, 2021, streaming service Paramount+ premiered the long-awaited show 1883. As most fans know, 1883 is a prequel series for the hit show Yellowstone, which airs on Paramount Network.
Starring Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, and LaMonica Garrett, 1883 follows Elliott’s Shea Brennan as he and his right-hand man Thomas (Garrett) lead a group of Germans from Texas through the Great Plains and to Oregon. Along the way, they meet James Dutton, played by McGraw, who agrees to help them with the trek. He brings along his family (Hill, May and son played by Audie Rick).
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Before 1883’s premiere, Elliott spoke with CinemaBlend about the prequel series, which he doesn’t want considered a prequel at all.
He also spoke about writer, creator, and director Taylor Sheridan.
“I’ve never worked with anyone like Taylor before. I mean, I’ve certainly I’ve worked with some good directors, I don’t mean that. But Taylor is so talented and so complex on so many levels that I would say that I’ve never worked with anyone like him. That said, I think we share a lot of common bones. You know, he has this love and understanding of the West, and the history of the West — the history of this country — that makes him the right guy to make a project like this and tell a tale on the Oregon Trail. I don’t know a lot of other people around that could pull that off. It’s been a joy working with him, I think for everybody.”
While he gushed about Sheridan, and his new empire of shows (there is a rumored 6666 spin-off in the works as well), he is a little ticked that people even consider 1883 a “prequel.”
He said, “I think I can speak for the entire cast. ‘Yellowstone’ is all over this. We’re tainted by ‘Yellowstone,’ which on some level, I can’t stand. Because I think 1883 stands alone, and will, once it comes out. People are gonna say, ‘Oh yeah, well, the only connection there is that it got John Dutton to Montana.'”
The legendary actor wasn’t dissing Yellowstone, he was just expressing that he feels 1883 can stand on its own. Meaning, people who have never seen Yellowstone can still enjoy and understand 1883 without knowing a single thing about the Kevin Costner-led drama.