‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1883’ Casts Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

There’s some star power coming to the Yellowstone prequel 1883 at Paramount+.

Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill will star in the upcoming series from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. The prequel “follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America,” according to the logline. “It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana.”

Academy Award nominee Elliott will play Shea Brennan, described as a “tough-as-nails, handsome cowboy with immense sadness in his past” who “has the herculean task of guiding a group from Texas to Montana, and he does not suffer fools.” Husband and wife McGraw and Hill will star as the Dutton family patriarch and matriarch, James and Margaret.

“It all starts with the writing, and Taylor Sheridan is a brilliant writer,” Elliott said in a statement. “I think the western genre speaks clearly to both of us. The classic struggles of man against man, man against nature and man against himself. It’s all there, in 1883, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

“This is truly a dream job,” McGraw added. “Taylor has found a way of storytelling that brilliantly creates these epic dramas and family sagas with so much depth and creativity. The Duttons are tremendous characters and it’s so thrilling to be able to bring them to life. As a kid growing up riding horses, you think about dream jobs like this and I am just so excited to work with this amazing cast and crew.”

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Hill said. “The Duttons are a formidable family and it is an absolute dream to bring such a strong female character like Margaret Dutton to life. I am humbled and honored to work with Taylor and his entire team.”

Elliott’s previous TV credits include Grace and FrankieJustified, and Parks and Recreation. McGraw’s acting credits include the films Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side, while Hill’s include The Stepford Wives and Touched by an Angel.

Joining Sheridan as executive producers for 1883 are John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle, and Bob Yari.