Yellowstone prequel 1883: Release date, cast, trailer and latest news

The hotly-anticipated drama quickly captured the imagination of fans – and has become the platform’s most-watched original series.

"The success of Taylor Sheridan's 1883 is another proof point of our unique model to leverage our linear platforms and franchise our biggest hits to supercharge Paramount Plus," Chris McCarthy, President and CEO ViacomCBS Media Networks, said.

"We went big with 1883 – the Yellowstone prequel – and it delivered big and shattered all records – as both the #1 most watched original series premiere ever on Paramount+ and the biggest new cable premiere since 2015, with nearly five million viewers tuning into Paramount Network Sunday's airing.”

The western centres around the ancestors of the present-day Dutton family, who own a huge cattle ranch in Montana, and boasts a star-studded cast including Tim McGraw, Sam Elliott, Faith Hill and Isabel May.

Actor Sam Elliot (Tombstone, A Star Is Born) recently revealed that filming was “wonderful and gruelling at the same time”.

"It’s a story about the Oregon Trail in general. We start out in Fort Worth, Texas, and we’re headed to Oregon. Along the way, a contingent ends up in Montana. It is a couple of generations before the [Kevin] Costner tale," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

"It’s been wonderful and gruelling at the same time. [Showrunner] Taylor [Sheridan] told me, 'You’ll hate me at the end of this thing.' There is no chance that is ever going to happen. But it’s a tough shoot. We shot in Fort West for almost two months in 106-degree temperatures. Montana was the complete opposite. Bitterly cold and freezing."

Read on for everything you need to know about Yellowstone prequel series 1883 including its release date, cast and plot information.

Yellowstone prequel 1883 release date

The Yellowstone prequel series 1883 was released on December 19th on Paramount Plus for US viewers.

The viewing schedule for Yellowstone is further behind in the UK than it is across the pond and a UK release date is yet to be announced. We'll keep this page updated.

Who's in the cast of Yellowstone prequel 1883?

Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Sam Elliott will lead the series ensemble cast, following an announcement made back on the 4th August.

Meanwhile, Billy Bob Thornton will also star in the prequel series as Marshal Jim Courtright.

Talking about the filming process for 1883, actor Elliot recently told The Hollywood Reporter: "It’s been wonderful and gruelling at the same time. Taylor told me, 'You’ll hate me at the end of this thing.'There is no chance that is ever going to happen. But it’s a tough shoot.

"We shot in Fort West for almost two months in 106-degree temperatures. Montana was the complete opposite. Bitterly cold and freezing," he added.

"Taylor is a brilliant writer. He is a genius," he continued. "It is really inspiring on a lot of levels. Isabel May is only 21. Never had much experience on a horse, but looks like she’s been riding a horse her whole life. And every time she opens her mouth in a scene, she is just mesmerising. This is going to be the beginning of a long career if that’s what she wants."

Yellowstone prequel 1883 plot

The show’s writer Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water) explained the prequel's concept ahead of its release on Paramount Plus: “I was always fascinated when I came up with the story of Yellowstone about how do we make it bigger and expand it. This new show explores different eras of that 130-year legacy.

“What an opportunity to witness the first Duttons to come to Montana,” he continued in a video posted on Twitter. “We see them when they were homesteading. 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.”

Yellowstone prequel 1883 trailer

You can watch the first-look trailer for Yellowstone prequel series 1883 here.

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