Earlier this week TheWrap hosted a screening of the first episode of “1923” with Helen Mirren, Brandon Schellner, and Amina Nieves, along with editor Chad Galster, production designer Carrie White, and assistant costume designer Samantha Pawlatt.
It was a fascinating chat (you can watch the whole thing above), but what was especially intriguing was when the topic of joining beloved franchises like “Yellowstone” was brought up.
“I don’t see it as a franchise,” Mirren said. “I don’t see it that way.”
But if this isn’t a franchise for Mirena, then what is it?
“I know this is going to sound super pretentious, but I look at it as an examination of American history, the way ‘War and Peace’ was an examination of part of Russian history, as seen through the eyes of Was gone. Family, family members. I look at it more like that,” Mirren said. “I personally didn’t see a lot of ‘Yellowstone,’ but mostly I jumped on board because of Taylor’s writing, which is great and it turns out she’s a fantastic writer. She really has the script perfect.” Things came in the form that you didn’t want to change a word, you didn’t want to add anything, you didn’t want to take anything away. They were psychologically interesting to play as an actor.
“1923” just to be clear Is Part of the “Yellowstone” franchise, it was started by Taylor Sheridan in 2018 and quickly became one of the most popular shows on television, inspiring “1883,” a spinoff set in the central family’s distant past and now, “1923,” the follow-up to that original spinoff. (Both were made for Paramount+, while original show broadcasts air on the Paramount network.) There will be more spinoffs on the way, including “6666,” a contemporary set on the legendary Texas ranch.
In “1923” Mirren plays Dutton family matriarch Cara Dutton, a homemaker forced to deal with the changing politics and policies of the era as the Old West transitions to something more modern. They were under threat from greedy developers and drama within the family. , There’s a lot to play with. And Mirena is right; “1923” is a prism used to view the changing American landscape, both literally and spiritually. Of course, it’s also part of the “Yellowstone” empire, a collection of the most-watched series on TV and streaming.
