This Is Not a Drill — ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘Y: 1883’ Is on the Way
Published Feb. 5 2021, 9:42 p.m. ET
Last year, Yellowstone became the most-watched drama on cable television and, with the help of co-creator Taylor Sheridan, who recently signed a multi-year blockbuster deal with ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment Group, showrunners plan to bring the same magic to the show’s upcoming prequel, Y: 1883.
The series, which will detail the lives of the Dutton family in their early years, is what showrunners say is only the beginning of the Yellowstone universe. So, when will it be gracing our screens?
When will the ‘Yellowstone’ prequel be released?
Yellowstone fans will get a glimpse of Y: 1883 on Sunday, Feb. 7 during the Super Bowl. Taylor, who will executive produce the prequel alongside John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, David Hutkin, and Bob Yari, said in a statement: “I am excited to continue the story of Yellowstone and thank you to Chris, Keith, and David for allowing me to keep on expanding the family for the fans."
While the series debut is only a sneak peek, showrunners say that viewers will finally dive into the Duttons’ deadly backstory for the first time. The show documents the family as they travel across the West and through the Great Plains to “seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana,” according to a release.
'Y: 1883' is the first of several series to be released by Taylor in the upcoming year.
The deal, which will serve as Taylor’s second with ViacomCBS, will extend his agreement with Viacom for at least another five years and is estimated to be worth around nine-figures, including five cycles per year of scripted and procedural content. The deal comes shortly after Yellowstone’s Season 3 finale broke a two-year viewership record with more than 5 million total viewers.
Chris McCarthy, President of MTV Entertainment, said in a statement, “Taylor Sheridan is a visionary creative whose work has reinvented genres and amassed fan bases around the globe; we are thrilled he calls ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment his home. We couldn't be more excited to build upon our partnership with him, expand the Yellowstone universe and showcase Taylor's boundless talent across all of our brands and platforms."
David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios, a company that Taylor will also supply content for under this agreement, also vouched for the screenwriter, saying, “Taylor Sheridan is a master at world-building and has a singular voice that makes him one of today's standout creators making must-watch content.”
He continued, “Our mission at 101 is to produce content that provokes culture conversations with renowned creators at the helm of our projects, and that is exactly what we envision for this collaboration. This deal is an extension of our longstanding relationship with both ViacomCBS, MTV Entertainment Group, and Taylor and we are very much looking forward to our future projects."
You can catch a sneak peek of Y: 1883 on CBS during the Super Bowl, which kicks off Sunday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on CBS.