‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘Y:1883’ to Release First Sneak Peek at Super Bowl 2021

Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan is developing a prequel series to the Paramount Network hit Yellowstone as part of a new exclusive deal he signed with ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment Group. The prequel will be titled Y: 1883 and will track the Dutton family on their journey West to Montana, where the Kevin Costner-starring Yellowstone is set. A special sneak preview of Y: 1883 will air during Super Bowl LV on Sunday, Feb. 7.

“Taylor Sheridan is a visionary creative whose work has reinvented genres and amassed fan bases around the globe; we are thrilled he calls ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment his home,” Chris McCarthy, President of MTV Entertainment said in a statement on Friday. “We couldn’t be more excited to build upon our partnership with him, expand the Yellowstone universe and showcase Taylor’s boundless talent across all of our brands and platforms.”

Y: 1883 will show the rise of the Dutton family as they travel through the Great Plains and through untamed American territory. “It 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,” reads the series description. The new series will be executive produced by Sheridan and Yellowstone co-creator John Linson. The other executive producers are David Glasser, Art Linson, David Hutkin, and Bob Yari. Casting was not announced.

Under the terms of the multi-year deal, Sheridan will create content with MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. His new projects will be exclusive to ViacomCBS brands, including Paramount+, Paramount Network, and CBS. “I am excited to continue the story of Yellowstone and thank you to Chris, Keith, and David for allowing me to keep on expanding the family for the fans,” Sheridan said in a statement.

Yellowstone finished its third season in August. The show stars Costner as John Dutton, who runs the largest ranch in the contiguous U.S. and is frequently targeted by people who want to take parts of his land. Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bently co-star as his children. The third season premiere drew 6.5 million total viewers in Live+3 data, making it the most-watched season premiere on cable in two years. The show will be back for a fourth season.

Outside of Yellowstone, Sheridan is best known for directing the crime drama Wind River and writing Sicario and Sicario: Day of the Soldado. He earned an Oscar nomination for writing the 2016 Western Hell or High Water. His next film, Those Who Wish Me Dead, will be released by Warner Bros. on May 14. Before he began writing and directing, Sheridan was an actor, starring as David Hale in Sons of Anarchy.