The Yellowstone universe is expanding yet again, this time with another generation of Duttons in the 1940s. On the heels of 1883 and 1923, Taylor Sheridan’s new Yellowstone prequel 1944 is officially in the works. And once again, fans should expect to see new Dutton faces when the official cast list is revealed.
The ‘Yellowstone’ prequels are introducing fans to every Dutton ranching generation
Yellowstone fans met the first generation of Duttons in the limited series 1883, which starred Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton. Those episodes told the story of how they traveled the Oregon Trail with their children — Elsa (Isabel May) and John (Audie Rick) — and how they chose the land in Montana that would eventually become the Dutton Ranch in Yellowstone.
The prequel 1923 introduced the next generation of Duttons after James and Margaret’s passing. James’ brother Jacob (Harrison Ford) and sister-in-law Clara (Helen Mirren) are in charge of the ranch after World War I, along with a grown-up John (James Badge Dale).
Fans have also met Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), John’s younger brother who was born after the events of 1883. He is a World War I veteran who is struggling with the horrors of war on another continent.
All of the ‘1923’ characters that will need to be re-cast in the new ‘Yellowstone’ prequel
Most of the actors in 1923 will have to be recast for 1944. With a 20-year time jump, Jacob and Cara will be gone. And, there’s no guarantee that John or Spencer will still be alive. If they are, though, Badge Dale and Sklenar could reprise their roles as aged-up versions of their 1923 characters. But, what about the younger Duttons?
Darren Mann currently plays Jack Dutton, John’s son, and Jacob’s great-nephew. He is dedicated to the upkeep of the ranch in 1923. So, by 1944, it’s extremely likely he will be running the ancestral seat. But, will Mann return to play the older version of the character?
Jack’s feisty wife Elizabeth Strafford Dutton is played by Michelle Randolph, and she could return for 1944 under lots of makeup. As could Spencer’s betrothed, Alexandra (Schlaepfer). Those roles could stay with the same actors, but the little ones will definitely be recast.
Jack and Elizabeth’s son John Dutton (the father of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton) has yet to be born in 1923. But, we know from the Dutton family tree that he will arrive at some point in the 1920s and he will be a young man in 1944.
What fans need to know about the new ‘Yellowstone’ prequel
The official word from the Paramount Network is that 1944 is in development, and it was greenlit in early February.
“We’ve got 1923, we’ve got the sequel, we’re not letting the cat out of the bag, it’s going to be called 1944,” 101 Studios executive vice president Tom Prince told Ravalli Republic.
The plot details are being kept under wraps, but the storyline is likely to include World War II as a plot engine or backdrop for a storyline. Prince says that they will probably be shooting the majority of the series in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley at the Chief Joseph Ranch, just like the other series in the Yellowstone universe. But, there could be some big set pieces in other locations, like fans have seen in 1923.
Elsa’s voiceover in the 1923 pilot could give fans an idea of what’s to come in 1944. It appears that Jack will be in charge of the ranch, without Spencer.
As she explained, “My father had three children. Only one would live to see their own children grow. Only one would carry the fate of this family through the Depression, and every other hell the twentieth century hurled at them.
Yellowstone returns to Paramount Network this summer for the second half of season 5. 1883 and 1923 are now playing on Paramount+.