A week ahead of 1883's long-awaited streaming debut on Paramount+, the stars of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone prequel headed to Vegas to see it debut on the big screen.
On December 11, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sam Elliott, and Billy Bob Thornton — who filmed on location in Fort Worth, Granbury, and Weatherford in late summer — walked the red carpet before screening the first two episodes, giving lucky fans their first glimpse of the epic cast together, onscreen and off.
1883 premieres on December 19 and is being built up as one of the buzziest new shows of the year. It follows Yellowstone's Dutton family "as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America," Paramount+ says. "The series is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana."
Real life husband-and-wife McGraw and Hill star as patriarch and matriarch James and Margaret Dutton; Hollywood legend Elliott as Shea Brennan, described as "a tough-as-nails, handsome cowboy with immense sadness in his past;" and Isabel May as the Duttons' teenage daughter and the series' narrator.
And then there's Thornton, who portrays U.S. Marshal Jim Courtright. In the official trailer, he gets a killer line about Fort Worth.
Seemingly absent from the premiere was Tom Hanks, who makes a guest appearance in the series as three-star general inspired by General George Meade, according to People.
Deadline reports series creator and Weatherford resident Sheridan introduced the screening at Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theater, which was followed by an after-party at SW Steakhouse on the property, featuring a custom 1883 light show on the resort’s Lake of Dreams. Throughout the night, they report, a five-piece orchestra played the score of 1883, composed by Brian Tyler.
Viewers will finally get the chance to see the highly anticipated series — including scenes shot in an Old West town erected in the Fort Worth Stockyards — when it drops Sunday, December 19.
A word of warning, People notes: "Unlike Yellowstone, the entirety of 1883 will not air on the Paramount Network. Only the first two episodes will air on the channel, following the December 19 and December 26 episodes of Yellowstone. This way, fans can get a taste of the show before committing to the network's streaming platform, Paramount+ (where the rest of the series will run)."
For those who can't get enough, the "Official Yellowstone Podcast," recorded at the Wynn, launched last week. The podcast, hosted by series star Jefferson White (Jimmy) brings listeners exclusive interviews from the cast, crew, and special guests.
The cast of 1883 at the world premiere.
