Yellowstone Prequel Y: 1883 Just Hit A Major Production Milestone

Prequels tend to get a bad rap, but there are numerous reasons to be excited about the one "Yellowstone" is getting. While the mainstay Paramount Network series is set in the present-day, "Y: 1883" occurs in the 19th century. It focuses on an entirely new cast of characters, so everyone's fate is up in the air. Death is bound to lurk behind every corner seeing as how the show will follow the Dutton family ancestors as they traverse the country from Texas to Montana in the hopes of improving their lot in life. They obviously attain a good chunk of land for themselves, as evidenced in "Yellowstone," but hardship and sacrifice will likely come up often.

"Yellowstone" fans have plenty to look forward to in the near future. Not only is the prequel on the way, but also, Season 4 of "Yellowstone" debuts in November 2021, which will hopefully answer all of those burning questions audiences still have after the Season 3 finale. As you wait patiently, here's some good news to tide you over for the time being; "Y: 1883" has officially begun filming.

Reports came out back in July that "Y: 1883" would film in Fort Worth, Texas. It appears that's still very much part of the plan, as Deadline releases an exclusive about how filming officially started on August 23 in that city. Fort Worth will factor heavily into the show itself as the Dutton family originated there, but in search of greater riches, they trek toward Montana with 30 wagons of other settlers. It promises to be a show that explores what life was like for frontiersmen over 100 years ago. And while 30 wagons may head out initially, it's a safe bet not everyone will make it to Montana in one piece.

One intriguing aspect from the Deadline article is how the plan is still for "Y: 1883" to premiere on Paramount+ on December 19, 2021. That's only a few months after cameras started rolling, so there must be a plan to get at least the first episode ready to showcase quickly. That's easier said than done, especially since it sounds like the pilot for "Y: 1883" could exceed the runtime of that for "Yellowstone," which clocked in at just over 90 minutes. Show creator Taylor Sheridan stated, "The great thing about the relationship with the network is, they always let us go on running time, so we'll see what the first one times out to." Plus, there are still nine episodes of the first season to film in addition to the pilot.

Paramount and Taylor Sheridan must know what they're doing, so we'll put our trust in them.