Westerns as a television and film genre have been around since the late 1800s, but was really popularized around the 1930s through the 1960s, otherwise known as the Golden Age of the Western. It was here that the populous was introduced to actors like John Wayne, Gary Cooper and Clint Eastwood portraying tough cowboys in the Wild West.
The genre has had such an impact on modern day culture that it has even influenced the likes of video games, like the popular Red Dead Redemption games, and even Japanese Anime and Manga with properties like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, and Outlaw Star. Even popular films like Star Wars are influences by westerns.
And the fascination with the genre continues to this day, with rumors of a Red Dead Redemption 3 game on the horizon, and shows like Yellowstone creating spinoffs that take place when cowboys were still roaming the west, including its newest installment 1923.
1923 Is Part Of The Larger Yellowstone Universe
Yellowstone premiered on Paramount + in 2018 to many mixed responses. While the show's first season did not yield spectacular numbers or reviews, the show has grown into its own, boasting over 12 million viewers for its fourth and fifth seasons.
Yellowstone's primary focus is the Dutton family and their ranch, the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the largest ranch in the state of Montana. The plot is usually centered around internal family drama and the Dutton family having to constantly battle those trying to infringe upon the land they own.
The show garnered enough popularity for Paramount + to create a prequel, 1883, which takes place in post-Civil War era America and follows earlier members of the Dutton family as they travel westward from Tennessee towards Montana, where the family eventually came to settle.
1923 was announced not too long after, with the story looking to expand even further on the Dutton family backstory. It focuses on the challenge of adjusting to life in the early 20th century, which include the Great Depression, technological advancements, prohibition, and the essential death of the wild west days.
And it doesn't seem that Paramount has any intention of slowing down the expansion of the Yellowstone world, with another rumored spin-off, currently named 6666, underway.
While no actors are attached to the project at this time, it does appear to take place in Texas and be based on a real ranch that is still operational to this day.
Yellowstone And 1883 Already Have An Impressive Cast
The casting for these shows is certainly something to boast about, with both of them utilizing some of the best of the best in the industry as part of their production. Yellowstone includes the likes of Hollywood legend Kevin Costner portraying the lead of the show, John Dutton, alongside Kelly Reilly, who plays his wife Beth Dutton.
Both actors boast impressive careers, with Reilly flexing her acting chops on shows like True Detective, and Costner killing it in Dances with Wolves and The Bodyguard.
Fans of True Blood and the Fifty Shades of Grey films may also be quick to recognize Luke Grimes in the show as well in his role as Kayce Dutton.
Even Wes Bentley of American Horror Story fame gets to flex his chops in Yellowstone as another member of the Dutton family with Kelsey Asbille of Fargo fame and Hollywood newcomer Brecken Merrill, who had only appeared in the NBC hit This Is Us.
And, of course, 1883 has familiar faces in it as well, like country singer Faith Hill as Margaret Dutton staring alongside her real-life husband Tim McGraw, who portrays James Dutton.
Faith Hill first flexed her acting chops in The Stepford Wives in 2004, taking a pause from acting before coming back in 2017 for an indie film.
Much like his wife, Tim McGraw is no stranger to acting on film. Outside of his music videos, McGraw has graced the screen with films like Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side.
Perhaps the largest name on the roster for 1883 is its lead, Sam Elliot. Elliot has made his presence known since the late 1960s with smaller roles as a background actor.
Elliot has essentially made a name for himself playing "cowboy" like characters in television and film, so it comes as no surprise to viewers that he fits right into the role for 1883.
1923 Reunites Harrison Ford And Helen Mirren
While rumors continue to swirl that Indiana Jones 5 may be Harrison Ford's final role in movies, it does not appear that the actor is completely calling it quits when it comes to the acting game.
Ford, who has had an incredible career in Hollywood with its own, unique start, is starring as the lead for 1923.
Harrison Ford will be playing family patriarch Jacob Dutton alongside actress Helen Mirren as his wife, Cara Dutton. 1923 marks an acting reunion for the pair, who have previously worked together on the 1986 film The Mosquito Coast. The pair appear to have immense respect for one another that has held strong to this day.
Ford admits it's the writing that had him intrigued in playing the role, to begin with, and Mirren seems to echo his sentiments, making sure to praise the creator of the Yellowstone universe, Taylor Sheridan, for his "extraordinary" work and writing.
Other members of the Dutton family for 1923 will respectively be played by Brandon Sklenar, who has been steadily building his career since 2011, James Badge Dale, who started his career in 1990 with Lord of the Flies, and Hollywood newbie Michelle Randolph, to name a few.
And it seems fans of the Yellowstone universe appear to be excited for 1923 as well, with many admitting they are enamored by the universe Taylor Sheridan has created for their enjoyment, seeing the likes of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren playing the leads as just another bonus of a world that has already captivated them.