The premiere of 1923 is fast approaching, and fans of Yellowstone eagerly await the prequel to the Dutton family saga. While Yellowstone takes place during the modern day, 1923 takes us back nearly a century during a time of economic uncertainty and societal unrest. Harrison Ford takes one of the lead roles as the patriarch of the Dutton clan and spoke with Uproxx about the historical context of the series and the nature of his character, Jacob:
Ford has clearly done his homework and understands the time period and setting of 1923, highlighting the challenges that his character faces. While the Dutton family is a fictional one, they’re based on what a cattle ranching family of the time would have been like, as showrunner Taylor Sheridan takes historical accuracy very seriously. Ford also reveals that Jacob Dutton feels alienated in a time of modernization:
“He’s a rancher, and a rancher is financially responsible as well as everything else for the outcomes. The pressures on Jacob Dutton at this point are considerable. The economic pressures. Banks are not loaning to cattle ranchers, having suffered losses. The business has not become as efficient as it needs to be just to generate consistent profits. The railhead is not close enough, so cattle still have to be driven. They lose weight, and they suffer casualties on the way to the market.”
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1923, as the title suggests, takes place during rapid industrialization. While the rest of the world modernizes homes and builds factories, Montanan ranchers still have to do things the old-fashioned way, driving cattle on horseback and living in log cabins. Their surrounding land is being bought up by wealthy investors, threatening the Dutton family ranch.
“There are a lot of things coming that are unknown. There’s electrification. There’s cars in the street instead of horses. Jacob Dutton looks around and he’s seeing the threat to his way of life, to the simplicity. He’s challenged by all of it. All of it becomes his responsibility to extend the opportunities he’s had to his family for generations to come. You want that ranch, you got to keep that ranch in the family. You got to hold onto it, and there’s a lot of pressure on it.”
Harrison Ford Works With Helen Mirren for the First Time in Decades
Paramount+
Jacob Dutton’s wife, Cara, is played by Helen Mirren, who is acting alongside Harrison Ford for the first time in over three decades. The two appeared in the 1986 film The Mosquito Coast, a critical and commercial failure at the time but has since been looked back on as an underrated and misunderstood film. When asked why it took so long for the two to reunite onscreen, Ford pointed out they had taken “different paths,” although they get along great together:
1923 serves as a prequel to Yellowstone, which is on its fifth season. It’s also a sequel to the limited series 1883. All three are created by Taylor Sheridan, and although their events relate to each other, you’ll be able to jump straight into 1923 without needing to watch the others first.
“I think each had different paths and different opportunities. Her work has been incredible. She’s had a very different career than I’ve had. And yet we’re very, very comfortable with each other, I think. I enjoy the opportunity to work together.”
1923 premieres on Dec. 18, 2022, on Paramount+. It is created and written by Taylor Sheridan, who also serves as executive producer. Ben Richardson directs the series, with the cast including Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Marley Shelton, Robert Patrick, Peter Stormare, and Jerome Flynn.
