Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone has the world mesmerized with the story of the Duttons, so it is no surprise that the prequel, 1883, with a star-stiudded cast of western staples, including Sam Elliott and country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, would have an instant audience raring to delve into the backstory of the diabolical Dutton family’s legacy. Sheridan has created a world crackling with family drama, marrying the moral values of the past with the ruthless business world of the present. While creating a world on paper is one thing, Sheridan also purchased the famous 6666 Ranch in Texas to put his world on film.
Sheridan sat down with Deadline to discuss his new business within a business and his new life with his tv family on the range. After purchasing in 6666 Ranch for $347.7 million back in June, it has become the homebase, as well as the filming location for the prequel. The cast and crew have immersed themsleves into the Old West on the 266,255 acre ranch. Between shoots, Sheridan, functions as president of the working cattle and horse ranch.
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He’s no stranger to the world. Starting his life on a ranch, before his folks divorced, he says, “That ranch I grew up on was a casualty of the divorce and a traumatic adult event that turned out to be a good casualty because had they not sold it, I would have never left and I’d be the most entertaining deputy sheriff in Bosque County.”
The synopsis of1883 tells us it follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. We can expect the tale to be told in Sheridan’s unorthodox style, as he explains, he doesn’t know how to do it any other way. “I don’t know how to make a TV show,” Sheridan explains. “I don’t have any idea and don’t really care to learn. I don’t do pattern budgeting, or write act breaks into things. I write 10-hour movies, and go shoot them. I don’t have a writers room, I’ve written them all myself. It’s not for lack of effort, I’ve tried three times.”
“Maybe this is coming from a bit of a place of ignorance because I’ve never been in a writers room, but there are certain tropes and structures that TV shows have relied on for a really, really long time,” he said. “Certain buttons and A stories and B stories that you can drop them into any show, I don’t do that. So, for someone who’s an experienced staff writer to come along and attempt to figure out this bizarre stream-of-consciousness writing I do, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to them. I don’t do outlines. I’ve just sat down and written all the episodes before we started filming. That way everybody knows what we’re doing, all the way through.”
With one cook in the kitchen, it truly allows the creator to present his vison. The original series stars Academy Award nominee legend Sam Elliott, Grammy Award winner Tim McGraw, Grammy Award winner Faith Hill, Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, and Tom Hanks. 1883 premiered last night. What did you think? For more Dutton insights, be sure to tune in and listen to the Yellowstone podcast.
