1932's Surprise Casting Trick Can Make It The Best Yellowstone Show Yet

This casting announcement for Yellowstone's 1932 is building up anticipation for a show that already has a lot of potential built up from 1883.

1932's Surprise Casting Trick Can Make It The Best Yellowstone Show Yet

The two surprise cast members announced for Yellowstone’s upcoming spinoff 1932 is a trick that may end up making it the best spinoff yet for Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western universe. With Yellowstone’s other spinoff 1883 focusing on the origins of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, 1932 expects to carry on the prequel show’s events into the new century. Yellowstone season 4 had monumental viewership statistics, drawing comparable Game of Thrones numbers for the finale (via Forbes). With so much momentum behind the growing TV franchise, it’s only natural for more Yellowstone spinoffs to continue expanding the Dutton family legacy, especially with 1883′s consistently positive reception.

Looking at the known details surrounding Yellowstone‘s 1932 spinoff, there will be a set of new faces on the otherwise familiar Dutton Ranch. If its historical Western sister series 1883 is any indication, 1932 will take inspiration from real events and characters from that time period to create an otherwise dramatized version of the 1930s. Going further, 1932 stated in its official logline that the show will focus on “Western Expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression,” hinting at the incoming turmoil that the Dutton Ranch will face in its debut season.

Yellowstone and 1883 both use recognizable names to draw in viewers, bringing in actors such as Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Tom Hanks, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill to play notable characters. 1932 will be no different, following the announcement that acclaimed actors Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren will be among the show’s cast. Even though 1883 sets up 1932′s potential characters in its finale, there are no details about who either Ford or Mirren will play. While unconfirmed, Ford will likely portray the Dutton patriarch John Dutton I. There has been little speculation on who Mirren’s character will be, suggesting she may be playing a part unique only to 1932. Looking at all the notable actors in the Yellowstone universe, Ford and Mirren’s presence can elevate 1932 due to their sheer legendary status as actors and the promise their performances bring.

Mirren and Ford worked previously together on 1986’s Mosquito Coast and 2017’s The Fate of the Furious. 1932 will be the first television show the actors will work on together, so it’ll be exciting to see how their chemistry plays out in a more long-term format. Compared to Yellowstone’s hated 1883 setup in which promo scenes for the series were littered throughout Yellowstone‘s season 4—particularly the Costner-led season 4 episode “No Kindness for the Coward”—the upcoming 1932 is wisely building anticipation through its casting announcements.

While putting A-list actors on a television show is not a new concept, especially when television has reached generally higher standards of quality, Mirren and especially Ford come as a pleasant surprise. Along with the upcoming Apple TV+ show Shrinking, 1932 will be Ford’s first return to television since The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Ford already brings the kind of grit appropriate for the Yellowstone world and will fit well in 1932. Meanwhile, it will be refreshing for a historical Western to include a seasoned actress well known for period dramas like Mirren. 1932 is expecting a Paramount+ release in December 2022.