When you create one of the most successful television franchises in modern history, there’s an expectation you’ll back it up. For Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, that meant delving back into a world he knew intimately. Loaded with cowboys and horse-wrangling antics, the showrunner followed up his hit series with the prequel 1883, which delved deep into the origins of the Dutton ranch. Flash-forward a few months and news broke that Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren were also entering the fray in the recently renamed 1923, however, Sheridan isn’t slowing down yet. The Yellowstone creator has confirmed he will be directing the pilot of 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, a new six-part limited series that follows the real-life Wild West icon.
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The latest prequel centres around Bass Reeves, a legendary lawman who during his tenure as deputy marshal, is said to have arrested thousands and “gunned down 14 outlaws” who crossed him. British actor David Oyelowo, who previously starred as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in the 2014 biographic epic Selma, is set to take on the lead role. According to Deadline, Oyelowo was eager to join the project as a fan of Sheridan’s previous work, however, the Yellowstone showrunner will only be on-hand for the initial two episodes.
“The reality is that is one of the best directors on the planet,” Oyelowo told the publication. “We have to populate the show with a bunch of Black people to make sure that going forward the next Taylors are Black and brown and that there’s a bunch of them, so that it doesn’t become a scarcity of the top-flight Black directors.”
Despite only getting behind the camera for the first two instalments, Sheridan won’t be far from the new 1883: The Bass Reeves Story continuation project. The famed showrunner will serve as executive producer, alongside Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Glasser, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari. Further to that, Sheridan’s own Bosque Ranch Productions and the Oyelowos’ Yoruba Saxon production company will produce, along with 101 Studios MTV Entertainment Studios.
Image: Paramount
For fans of Yellowstone, the new series will be a slight departure from previous viewings. 1883: The Bass Reeves Story will follow the unique tale of the real-life slave turned lawman who after the Civil War, escaped captivity and started a bold new life.
”The mortality rate of being a deputy marshal back then was so high that the fact that he had 3,000 arrests — and a career that spanned into his 60s — these were things that were just unthinkable,” Oyelowo told Deadline. “For me, it’s definitely a big deal. Especially since twice I went out with it and the entire industry said no to the idea of the story being told.”
There’s no word yet on when 1883: The Bass Reeves Story will premiere, however, it coiuld be some time. With the wait between Yellowstone seasons reaching near-Stranger Things levels, it could be months before production even gets off the ground.
Image: CBS
