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‘Yellowstone’ TV: Tate Dutton Actor Brecken Merrill Celebrates News of His ‘Great Great’ Grandparents on Prequel ‘1883’

“Yellowstone” star Brecken Merrill on Wednesday celebrated some news from the Taylor Sheridan content universe. A prequel show about his character’s great great grandparents has cast some of its lead characters.

Country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will play James and Margaret Dutton, the forebears of Merrill’s character Tate Dutton. They are part of a group of settlers heading across the Great Plains. Actor Sam Elliott will play Shea Brennan, the group’s guide.

“Tate’s great great grandpa and grandma!” Merrill posted to Instagram.

Success of Original Fuels Spinoffs

“1883” is one of two “Yellowstone” spinoffs in the works. The “Yellowstone” prequel follows the Dutton family as they make their way across the Great Plains toward Montana. It’s a journey from civilization into the untamed West, and from poverty to opportunity.

Paramount+ and MTV Entertainment Studios are working together on the new series. 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch Productions will be production partners on the prequel.

“‘Yellowstone’ is a massive hit show with tens of millions of fans,” MTV Entertainment Group President and CEO Chris McCarthy said in a statement, per Deadline. “With ‘1883,’ we are taking those fans back to the origin story, and in the process, turning the Yellowstone world into a global hit franchise to fuel the growth of Paramount+. We are thrilled to have Sam, Tim and Faith as the stars of Taylor Sheridan’s new series exclusively for Paramount+ around the world.”

Executive producers are “Yellowstone” co-creators Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari.

‘6666’ Features ‘Yellowstone’ Veterans

Both ‘1883’ and ‘6666’ will premiere exclusively on Paramount+. The latter spinoff will reportedly feature some familiar faces from “Yellowstone.” Ryan Bingham, who plays Walker on the series, is supposedly reprising his role. And so is Jefferson White, who plays Jimmy Hurdstrom, the rodeo-loving ranch hand.

‘6666’ unfolds on the Four Sixes ranch in Texas. It’s a legendary ranch where ranchers raise the finest horses and livestock in the world and cowboys grow tough as nails. It is also a place, as the show’s announcement says, where “the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing.”

There is some speculation that Beth Dutton actress Kelly Reilly may be involved in “6666” as well. So does that mean her character survives the bomb in her office at the end of Season 3?

Only time will tell. But “Yellowstone” fans who are dying of suspense can take solace in the fact that the Season 4 premiere is just a few short months away.