Paramount+ unveils a teaser for the Yellowstone spinoff Lawmen: Bass Reeves, starring David Oyelowo as one of the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshals.
The teaser trailer for Lawmen: Bass Reeves has arrived. The series, which is currently set to premiere on Paramount+ later this year, is a brand-new spinoff in the universe of the hit Taylor Sheridan series Yellowstone. Bass Reeves stars David Oyelowo in the title role as the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal in the Western United States. The ensemble cast also includes Dennis Quaid, Forrest Goodluck, Lauren E. Banks, Barry Pepper, Grantham Coleman, Demi Singleton, and Garrett Hedlund.
The video is only 20 seconds long, focusing on the Western landscape and quick glimpses of a few dramatic moments. However, it imparts the gravity of its tone as Oyelowo, in character as Bass Reeves, introduces himself and intones, “Your wicked days are done.”
The True Story Behind Lawmen: Bass Reeves Explained
Lawmen: Bass Reeves does connect to the overarching Yellowstone universe, taking place at the same time as the prequel series 1883, which followed the Dutton family founding the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. However, unlike the bulk of the characters in the Yellowstone universe, Lawmen character Bass Reeves was a real person. Born into slavery, Reeves managed to escape imprisonment during the Civil War and lived among several nearby Native American tribes until he was declared free by the 13th Amendment, at which point he moved to Arkansas.
Because of his knowledge of the area and his facility with Native American languages, Reeves was approached to serve as a deputy for the Western District of Arkansas. His career would span 32 years and involve the capture of more than 3,000 fugitives. His career was especially notable because it spanned such a long time without him sustaining any serious injury.
There will still be quite a bit of fictionalization in the way Lawmen: Bass Reeves tells its story. This includes several of the characters who will surround Oyelowo’s Reeves, who seem to either be entirely fictional or amalgams of real historical figures. However, quite a few of them are based on other real-life people, including Reeves’ wife Jennie (Banks) and his daughter Sally (Singleton).