Yellowstone 1883 Spinoff to Tell Bass Reeves Story

Yellowstone will be getting yet another addition to its ever-expanding universe: the Yellowstone prequel series 1883 is getting its own spinoff series called 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, about the real-life African-American lawman who became a legend of the Wild West post-Reconstruction era, and is suspected to be the true inspiration for the character of The Lone Ranger. David Oyelowo (Selma, Star Wars Rebels) will star as Bass Reeves. Yellowstone franchise creator Taylor Sheridan will produce the show; David Oyelowo and his wife Jessica Oyelowo will executive produce, kicking off their overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios, through their Yoruba Saxon Productions imprint. 

This Bass Reeves series with Oyelowo was actually first announced last fall, as its own standalone series co-produced by ViamcomCBS and MTV Entertainment Studios. At the time, it was announced that Sheridan would be producing the series; the fact that it is now officially part of the Yellowstone Universe (or “SheridanVerse”) just gives it brand muscle before it ever even show a frame of footage. 

“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 told THR. “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.”

“David and Jessica are incredibly talented artists and we’re excited to develop our Bass Reeves project together with them and our phenomenal partner Taylor Sheridan,” Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of MTV Entertainment Group said at the time. “As the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River, Reeves’ story is monumental, and this limited series will bring to light one of the greatest frontier heroes in our country’s history.”

1883 followed the story of Yellowstone’s Dutton family during the Wild West century expansion into the western frontier. That series starred  Sam Elliott, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Isabel May, and LaMonica Garrett in the main cast. So far, it’s hard to tell just how closely connected this Bass Reeves Story spinoff will be to the main series, but some connective cameos of some level are certainly possible. 

Yellowstone and 1883 are available to stream on Paramount+.