Tim McGraw Gets Into Character for Upcoming ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1883’

Tim McGraw is getting into the swing of things for his role in the upcoming Yellowstone prequel series 1883, giving fans a look at his process in a new Instagram post over the weekend. The country star shared two photos, the first a shot of a leather-bound book stamped with the name “J. Dutton” and the second a snap of a pair of jeans with black powder on the leg.

“gettin in the groove for #1883,” he wrote. “as for the jeans … black powder blanks from quick draw practice!!!” McGraw is starring in the prequel alongside wife Faith Hill, with the two country stars set to portray ancestors of the Dutton family currently appearing in the hit Paramount Network show. McGraw and Hill will star James and Margaret Dutton, the patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton family, respectively, while Sam Elliott will play Shea Brennan, a cowboy who is tasked with guiding a group from Texas to Montana.

1883 will follow the ancestors of the Dutton family of Paramount’s Yellowstone as they “as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America,” according to a press release, which calls the prequel “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.”

The show will premiere on Dec. 19 on Paramount+, around one month after the upcoming fourth season of Yellowstone. 1883 comes from Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan and is part of Sheridan’s overall deal with MTV Entertainment Group and ViacomCBS.

“This is truly a dream job,” McGraw said in a statement. “Taylor has found a way of storytelling that brilliantly creates these epic dramas and family sagas with so much depth and creativity. The Duttons are tremendous characters and it’s so thrilling to be able to bring them to life. As a kid growing up riding horses, you think about dream jobs like this and I am just so excited to work with this amazing cast and crew.”

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” added Hill. “The Duttons are a formidable family and it is an absolute dream to bring such a strong female character like Margaret Dutton to life. I am humbled and honored to work with Taylor and his entire team.”