'1883' Sneak Peek: Get to Know the Dutton Family in 'Yellowstone' Spinoff First Look Photos

By Daniel S. Levine

The Yellowstone prequel series 1883 finally debuts on Paramount+ in two weeks, and the streaming platform released the first photos from the series last month to introduce the new characters to fans. Although the roster of characters includes Dutton family members we have never met before, they are played by two of the biggest country music stars in the world. Real-life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill star as the ancestors to Kevin Costner's John Dutton.

1883 is the first Yellowstone spin-off and stars McGraw as James Dutton and Hill as his wife, Margaret Dutton. The show was created by Taylor Sheridan, the Oscar-nominated writer behind Hell or High Water and co-creator of Yellowstone. It tracks the Dutton family's move from Texas as they seek success in Montana. As longtime Yellowstone viewers know, they must have been successful for John to be overseeing one of the largest ranches in the U.S. But how did Yellowstone/Dutton Ranch get so big? That's what 1883 will help explain.

The series also stars Isabel May as the Duttons' daughter Elsa and Audie Rick as the younger version of John's father, John Dutton Sr. (Dabney Coleman played the part in the Yellowstone Season 2 episode "Sins of the Father.") Sam Elliott stars as Shea Brennan, a Civil War veteran and wagon master who leads the Duttons and other families to Montana. Billy Bob Thornton also has a key role as U.S. Marshal Jim Courtright. The first episode of 1883 hits Paramount+ on Sunday, Dec. 19. Scroll on for a look at the 1883 cast.

Sam Elliott as Shea Brennan

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(Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+)

While many shows today use special effects, Sheridan didn't want to do that in 1883. Instead, the show has a lived-in quality, thanks to the genuine location work in Texas and the attention to detail seen on costumes and sets. "I go shoot these corners of the world that people haven't seen," Sheridan told Entertainment Weekly in November. "The audience today is so experienced. They've seen so much, so to move the audience becomes more and more difficult. It's incredibly expensive and very difficult. But we can do it as John Ford did it. When you need 50 wagons, you're going to see 50 [real] wagons."

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Tim McGraw as John Dutton

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(Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+)

This isn't the first time McGraw's fans have seen him act. He had roles in Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side. However, it is the first time he has acted with Hill, whose own acting credits include Dixieland and The Stepford Wives. "To see my beautiful wife on horseback, firing guns, and having dirt all over her face, I just sit in awe. She's a strong woman, anyway," McGraw told EW. "Taylor said early on to me, 'Man, you'll just get on that horse. You're not scared of anything.' I said, 'I'm scared of one thing. She's right over there.'"

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Faith Hill as Margaret Dutton

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(Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+)

The Dutton family will also meet Native Americans on their journey. Graham Greene, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in Costner's Dances with Wolves, will star as Spotted Eagle, a Crow elder they meet and tells James Dutton about Paradise Valley, reports Variety. Greene also worked with Sheridan on Wind River.

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Isabel May as Elsa Dutton

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(Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+)

While May is one of the youngest stars on the show, she isn't a newcomer to television. She previously starred on Netflix's Alexa & Katie as Katie Cooper. She also had a recurring role on CBS' Young Sheldon as Veronica Duncan. Audie Rick, who plays her on-screen brother in 1883, is making his debut in the series.

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The supporting cast

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(Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+)

The 1883 cast also includes Marc Rissmann, Eric Nelsen, James Landry Herbert, Dawn Oliveri, Emma Malouff, Anna Fiamora, Nicole Galicia, Stephanie Nur, Amanda Jones, Noah Le Gros, and Martin Sensmeier. Sensmeier previously had a small role in Yellowstone as a physical therapist, but he has a bigger role in 1883 as a Native American warrior.

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Shea Brennan Leads the Wagon Train

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(Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+)

While 1883 launches on Paramount+, the main Yellowstone series is in the middle of its fourth season. New episodes air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network. Yellowstone's first three seasons are available to stream on Peacock. Sheridan also created Jeremy Renner's Mayor of Kingstown, another Paramount+ series. New Mayor of Kingstown episodes are released on Sundays.

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