“They don’t read scripts”: Harrison Ford’s ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off Happened After Paramount Was Furious With Taylor Sheridan For Violently Ending ‘1883’
Some stars are larger than life, and their legacy is something that cannot be contained in a mere decade or two of the time they spent in their careers in the film industry. Among these rare prolific stars from the past and the present, Harrison Ford has left a legacy behind that few can think of competing with, and even fewer might be able to get close.
And while most of his accolades in the industry may have come from his hard work and passion for the art of acting, there are some instances where the timing was just right, and the actor had luck by his side. One of these instances just took place in the recent past, where due to a decision taken by creator Taylor Sheridan, the star was able to bag a Paramount+ TV series.
Taylor Sheridan’s Decision To End 1883 Paved Way For Harrison Ford To Be In 1923
Popular for being part of some of the most iconic movies and cinematic franchises in history, Hollywood legend Harrison Ford is no starnger to the ups and downs of the business and has experienced all that the industry has in store for any aspiring star. Therefore, he also knows that sometimes, a project you’ll be scouted for might just come your way through pure luck, kind of like how he was chosen to play the role of Jacob Dutton in the Paramount+ original show 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story, despite there being no plans for it to exist at first.
As the people who saw the final episode of 1883 might already know, the fate that awaited the Dutton family was a very grim one, to say the least, and creator Taylor Sheridan explicitly wrote it that way from the very beginning to give hints that will prepare the audience for what’s to come. But it seems like more than the audience, the production team was hit the hardest by this seemingly sudden turn of events, and demanded that there be another season of the show, which led to the creation of 1923
“I know they read the scripts, but they don’t read scripts, so when they read the last episode of 1883, I don’t think they digested what had just happened, even though I made it quite clear from the very beginning. The story I heard is Bob Bakish watched it and said, ‘wait a minute, she dies! They all die? What do we do in season two?’ I said, there is no season two. They’re like, there better be a f*****g season two because we already picked it up. I’m sitting here going, guys everyone is dead.”
And while the prequel series may have been a little unplanned, the final product did go on to win the hearts of the Yellowstone universe’s fans.
What Was 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story About?
After the tragic events of 1883, the sequel to the series and the prequel of the original Yellowstone series, 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story tells the tale of the new generation of the Dutton family who are trying to preserve their home in the mountains of Montana after the devastating events of the Prohibition, the infamous drought and the very early stages of the Great Economic Depression, all the while fighting for survival against the people who mean harm to them.
