‘Yellowstone’s ‘Bass Reeves’ Story Rebrands Into Already-Existing Spinoff

Paramount is rebranding Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming limited series about frontier hero Bass Reeves as the next edition of 1883. The series was announced as its own project in September 2021 and will star David Oyelowo, who played Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, in the title role. Although Paramount renewed 1883 for a second season, Sheridan said in late February he envisioned the show’s first season as a “ten-hour movie” that ended with its Season 1 finale.

The series was simply known as Bass Reeves but has been referred to as 1883: The Bass Reeves Story in Paramount’s announcements this week. MTV Entertainment Studios made it official during its portion of Paramount’s upfront presentation Wednesday, reports Deadline. There is still no premiere date for the project.

1883: The Bass Reeves Story will star Oyelowo as Bass Reeves, a legendary lawman who was the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was born a slave in Arkansas and left his enslaver during the Civil War. He reportedly arrested over 3,000 felons while working in Arkansas, Texas, and the Indian Territory. He died in 1910 at age 71. He is thought to be one of the inspirations for The Lone Ranger. The rest of the cast has not been announced.

Oyelowo and his wife, actress Jessica Oyelowo, are executive producers under their Yoruba Saxon Productions banner, which has an overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios. Sheridan, David Permut, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, and Bob Yari are also executive producing. MTV Entertainment, Yoruba Saxon, 101 Studios, and Bosque Ranch Productions are producing.

“The stories Jess and I want to tell are boundary-busting and full of folks the likes of whom we have seldom seen on screen,” Oyelowo said in September 2021. “The extraordinary story of Bass Reeves exemplifies just that. To collaborate with world-class talent like Taylor Sheridan to tell those stories to the widest audience possible, is our dream, and we believe that can and will be realized through the shared ambitions we have with ViacomCBS and its signature branded platforms, alongside our seasoned and brilliant producing partners at 101 Studios.”

The first season of 1883 starred Faith Hill and Tim McGraw as the great-grandparents of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone character John Dutton. It tracked their move from Tennessee to Montana, where they established the Yellowstone ranch. It was an enormous success for Paramount+, so it was no surprise when Paramount renewed 1883 for a second season in February. However, Sheridan told Deadline weeks later that he saw 1883 as a “ten-hour movie that ended,” so he had no plans to write a Season 2. Paramount’s decision to rebrand Bass Reeves as another installment of 1883 shows the company has come to terms with Sheridan’s wishes.