Taylor Sheridan’s neo-western drama series Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner in the lead, became a runaway success with audiences and critics thanks to the actor-turned-writer’s sharp screenplay and story. Encouraged by the reception, the Veronica Mars star went on to create two prequels to the series namely 1883 and 1923, which traced the ancestry of the Duttons and the Yellowstone ranch.
1923 saw two veteran superstars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren playing the central protagonists. In an interview, Sheridan spoke of the effort and detail involved in the production design of the series. When asked about comparisons to a James Cameron masterpiece regarding the colossal budget that was involved, the creator took the reference to another Hollywood epic to state his point.
Taylor Sheridan Gave A Fitting Context To 1923’s Massive Budget
After the huge popularity of Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan took the narrative of the Dutton family further by tracing their history through two prequel series namely 1883 and 1923. While the former was a limited series that was created for one season, the latter starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren has been renewed for season 2 according to Sheridan’s confirmation to Deadline.
Apart from the powerful narrative and screenplay, both prequels boasted excellent production design and visualization that required a major budget. In an interview with Deadline, the Sons of Anarchy actor revealed that while he believed 1883 was the most expensive first season of any TV show made, 1923 was even bigger in scale.
When asked if he would compare his series to James Cameron’s Avatar, Sheridan denied these claims summarily and used another iconic film from Hollywood to explain why 1923 was nothing like Cameron’s masterpiece owing to the complicated logistics involved.
“It’s the opposite of that. It’s the Lawrence of Arabia. In other words, you saw six thousand sheep, three thousand cattle, and as this show keeps going, you’re in Africa. All real.”
The celebrity also made a bold claim to the show’s lead star Harrison Ford when the veteran revealed that this was the best thing he had been part of in many years.
“And my response to him was, what the f**k did you make 20 years ago as good as this? What was that? I missed that one. What was it?”
Sheridan spoke of the challenges he faced while having to shoot in four different African countries which required a lot of prior planning and organization to ensure that filming went on smoothly without any waste of time and money.
How Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 Got Its Title
Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 is a prequel to Yellowstone that gained a lot of acclaim for the story featuring two big stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. Interestingly, the series was originally titled 1932 which was to have symbolized the events of the Great Depression that occurred in Montana and its disastrous effects on people.
But Sheridan realized through extensive research into Montana’s history, that he would have to change the decade to accurately encapsulate the historical context of the Depression which actually exploded in the 20s (via Looper). To further elaborate on the decade, the show also covered events from the First World War and the 1920s Prohibition among others.
While there is no information yet on when season 2 of 1923 will air on Paramount Plus, the success of the 1st season and the performances of Ford and Helen are enough incentive for fans to wait patiently to see what Sheridan has in store.
Season 1 of 1923 is streaming on Paramount Plus.
