“I heard a thousand stories. But none could describe this place.” The first trailer for 1883 is here, and the Yellowstone prequel looks like every Western fan’s dream – Sam Elliott included.
Way back in February, Yellowstone creators would tease their first spin-off, Yellowstone: 1883 with a trailer during Super Bowl LV. Now simply known as 1883, we’ve learned a spectacular amount about the period-correct Western. For starters, it’s set to star real-life lovebirds Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as the ancestors of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, James and Margaret Dutton.
Joining the country megastars is Sam Elliott as a Civil War veteran and Pinkerton agent, Shea Brennan. Billy Bob Thornton has also signed on for a guest starring role. The more we learn about 1883 the more excited Outsider becomes for this show.
And now we finally have the first full trailer for 1883, courtesy of the Yellowstone Season 4 premiere. Taylor Sheridan’s vision for a sprawling re-telling of America’s Westward Expansion is on full display. For Western fans, it’s nothing short of miraculous. Hollywood simply doesn’t make ’em like they used to. But Sheridan is here to fix that. Behold:
The trailer introduces audiences to Isabel May’s Dutton daughter, Elsa. She will serve as the narrator for 1883, which looks set to be a Western for the ages.
Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Old Hollywood’ Influence Apparent in ‘1883’ Trailer
If the remarkable sights of this trailer look absolutely real to your eyes, that’s the point. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly for their exclusive first-look at 1883 last week, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan said straight-up: “I don’t build a world with visual effects.”
In fact, the showrunner cites another legendary filmmaker as he says he’s relying on “Old Hollywood” filmmaking for inspiration.
“I go shoot these corners of the world that people haven’t seen,” Sheridan tells EW. “The audience today is so experienced. They’ve seen so much, so to move the audience becomes more and more difficult. It’s incredibly expensive and very difficult.”
But it doesn’t have to be, he continues. “We can do it as John Ford did it. When you need 50 wagons, you’re going to see 50 [real] wagons.”
The Yellowstone mastermind is citing legendary director John Ford, a career-long collaborator with John Wayne and an Outisder favorite. “Legendary” is an understatement when it comes to Ford, too: In a career spanning 1913 to 1971, the icon would direct over 140 films. And his work with John Wayne would create the Hollywood Blockbuster and change the industry forever.
In short: if there’s anyone to pull from to create a sprawling Western epic, it’s John Ford. We can’t wait to see how his influence on Taylor Sheridan plays out in full for 1883 when the show premieres December 19, 2021.
