Paramount Plus’ second Yellowstone prequel series 1923 came to a close with the bloody Season 2 finale last month, leaving fans curious about the future of the franchise.
While the streaming service does have another prequel series in development – 1944 – set more than two decades later – very little has been confirmed about the show.
It is believed to follow the life of 20-year-old John Dutton II, who was just born in the 1923 Season 2 finale, who will seemingly father Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III.
Many fans were surprised that both Harrison Ford, 82, and Helen Mirren, 79, survived the bloody Season 2 finale, which could technically open the door for his and Mirren’s return in 1944.
Granted, they would both be 100 years old in the show, if they returned in the present day during the 1944 series.
While there is the possibility of Ford and Mirren returning in flashback scenes, set between 1923 and 1944, Ford revealed at a for your consideration (FYC) event (via THR) that he would be open to returning.
‘I’m still alive,’ Ford said of the possibility of returning, joking he’d only do so if series creator Taylor Sheridan, ‘asks nice.’
Still, he admitted, ‘I have no idea what his plans are,’ referring to Sheridan and the 1944 prequel.
Mirren also joked she was, ‘convinced that I was going to die so I was quite surprised I was still alive at the end of the show.’
Both Jacob and Cara Dutton did indeed survive the bloody final standoff between the Dutton’s and the wealthy Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton), who was trying to wrest the Dutton family land from them.
The Season 2 finale also finally brought Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) and Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) back together after being torn apart all season, with Alex giving birth to John Dutton II, named after Spencer’s late brother, though Alex would die shortly after giving birth.
The 1923 newborn John Dutton II seems to be the show’s direct link to the flashship Yellowstone universe, as John Dutton III’s father, though that has yet to be directly confirmed from Sheridan’s camp.
Still, Mirren was enthralled by the finale, that this family essentially hinges on this newborn baby in the Season 2 finale.
‘I love the fact that the future of Yellowstone is left in this tiny baby, in the arms of two older people, grandparents age. I thought that was a very interesting concept,’ Mirren said.
She added ‘And [creator] Taylor [Sheridan] now I think is going to do 1944, as I understand, so that will be interesting too, the next generation.’
As far as a potential return for Ford, there was a moment in the Yellowstone Season 2 finale that featured a flashback of a young John Dutton III (Costner) and a 90-year-old John Dutton II (Dabney Coleman), who tells his son not to sell an inch of the land his family has amassed over the years.
While Jacob wasn’t Spencer’s father or John III’s father, he did serve as the ranch’s protector for decades, so it’s possible there could be a similar scene with an aging Jacob near death and a young John Dutton II or Spencer.
Paramount is also developing present-day Yellowstone spin-offs following Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and another for CBS following Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes).