1923 is coming, the series with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren

In times of great change, tradition can be vital for survival. Understanding what still works and discarding what doesn’t can be a crucial part of moving forward. This is what it brings Harrison Ford And Helen Mirren, longtime frontier couple, at Yellowstone’s Dutton Ranch in the series 1923that should be out on December 18th on Paramount +.

Set a century before John Dutton III’s Kevin Costner of the series Yellowstone held together his family’s vast empire in Montana, this second spin-off from the creator Taylor Sheridan explore what life was like for the second and third generation of Dutton who worked that land and find themselves turning to the first for guidance.

A lot has changed in the 40 years since James and Margaret Dutton (played by Tim McGraw And Faith Hill in the previous series, 1883) brought their family to this territory. What became of them in the 1923 It’s a mystery the series will unravel, but suffice it to say that their children, now in their thirties and forties, and their grandchildren, now in their twenties, have relied on a new matriarch and patriarch to deal with the rise of mechanization, the rise of government local and competition for resources from other farmers. Father’s brother, Jacob Dutton (Ford), and his wife Cara (Mirren), are now leading the family.

“And the silverbackSays Ford a Vanity Fair on the occasion of this first exclusive look at the series. «He is responsible for the family. He and Cara are two people with a very strong bond with each other that they face really complicated circumstances“.

Their strength, according to Mirren, is experience: “You need someone who is capable of making decisions, and possibly making the right decisions, but at least making a decision and moving it forward – in other words, a leader, ”says the actress. “This is what pushed them into this position of managing the ranch, of managing the family, of being the pivot around which, at this moment, the family revolves.”

Mirren says she wanted Cara to represent another aspect of the robust individualism that has long defined American society: “I see Cara as an immigrant,” says the British-born actress. “One of the things I really wanted was that you speak with an Irish accent, not an American accent. It has always bothered me a little that in westerns all these people speak with a modern American accent, while in reality many of them were newly arrived immigrants. “

The Oscar winner also has a full story for Cara: “The great Irish immigration to America, due to the potato famine, occurred in the late 19th century. This is chronologically correct for Cara. Let’s imagine that he is now almost sixty years old. She then she would come, I think, as a young woman from Ireland. I believe this is one of the extraordinary elements of America. The people who have arrived, and continue to arrive, are people with enormous resiliencean enormous courage and independence ».

Ford said Jacob and Cara have been married for about forty years, which roughly corresponds to the last time the two appeared together on the screen, in The Mosquito Coast of 1986, also playing a couple traveling in remote and dangerous wilderness. The matriarch and patriarch of that family were often at odds. In 1923, they are made for each other.

“They’ve been married for a long time. They had no children, so they didn’t get the feeling that the children were holding them together»Says Mirren. Time has forged a robust relationship: “That’s what it becomes, isn’t it?” Says Mirren. “An incredible partnership where you can be honest with each other, and love and support for each other are total, but at the same time you are no longer blinded by love or lust. You are much more lucid about your relationship, but the relationship becomes even stronger for this very reason. “

And there is still passion: “Their lives are totally wrapped up in each other”says Ford. “There is very little that supports them other than themselves and the hard work and investments they make for their future and their family. It is a hard life, full of challenges not only physical but also moral ».

This is the curious thing about the Duttons. They are the central figures in the history of Yellowstone, but they can’t always be called heroes. They prioritize honor, integrity and loyalty, but they can also be ruthless when they are pushed, creating a tension that is at the heart of this immense appeal franchise. Costner’s family, six generations after the ranch’s first settlers, sometimes still operate as if it were the Wild West.

The cunning of the Duttons will also be revealed in 1923. “Here it is close to the bone. The story is told very honestly and directly. There is no excuse for what it becomes necessary to do, “says Ford,” there is a very strong moral context which is … “. He hesitates and chuckles before finding an adjective: “unbreakable”

As fragile as Dutton’s morality may be, the world of Yellowstone he has always presented it as a necessary evil. Kill or be killedespecially in difficult times – and they are always. “The Duttons live by an established code of conduct that requires complicated moral and ethical judgment,” says Ford. “It’s not just physical life that’s difficult. The challenges they face with modernity, the challenges to their lifestyle, their freedom and the opportunities they have enjoyed, are an important part of the story. The impending depression and all the pressures, economic and social, lead to this very unstable period of American history “.

The brutality of it all, and even the injustice at times, is part of the plot of the show: “It’s a real investigation into American history,” says Mirren.

Times can change, and so can the composition of the family, but there are constants in 1923 that fans of the series will recognize. “The Dutton families have similar genetics,” says David Glasser, executive producer of 1923, as well as of 1883 And Yellowstone. “They are strong. They are not without heart and soul. They care about their family and about protecting their inheritance by protecting the land they own. You will see that there are many similarities between the men and women of the ranch. ‘

Who are these men and women this time? There are some cast members and characters whose involvement remains a secret, but here are a few that can be revealed. When does the 1923, Jacob and Cara Dutton are already the new patriarch and the new matriarch. Whatever happened to James and Margaret, it happened a long time ago: “We’ll pick up with them that they’ve been there for a while,” says Glasser. “They’ve solidified their role in the city.”

John Dutton Sr. (played by James Badge Dale from Hightown) was just a kid in 1883, but now, in full age, he is the right-wing manager of the ranch along with his uncle Jacob. While looking after the livestock and land, his wife Emma (played by Marley Shelton) helps maintain home and family with Cara.

Son Jack (played by Darren Mann) follows the same path as his father, working as a laborer on the ranch to earn a place in the hierarchy. One day he will inherit the whole kingdom, as well as his descendants. Jack is the great-grandfather of Costner’s character.

Other figures inhabiting Yellowstone during this era include Elizabeth Strafford (played by Michelle Randolph), a feisty woman preparing to marry Jack, and Brian Geraghty in the role of Zane, who is not a blood member of the family but remains one of the most loyal team leaders.

In all its versions, Yellowstone he often acknowledged that the settlers who came to control this land of Montana are not actually its first or only inhabitants. Even in the modern day series, there are ongoing conflicts and unresolved disputes between the tribes of the region and the Dutton family. The life of the indigenous will also be present in 1923“Native American stories and period stories will play a part in this series,” says Glasser.

Within this narrative line, Aminah Nieves she plays Teonna, a young woman who was forced to attend a government-run boarding school, the kind that is now seen as a shameful part of America’s past. These schools were famous for their brutal practices and the way they deliberately suppressed languages and the traditional cultural practices of indigenous children, who were often estranged from their families and communities.

Among the main threats to the Duttons is a group known as “The sheepmen,” rival breeders who rely on the same prairies as the Duttons and are willing to fight them for them. Their leader is Banner Creighton, a Scottish shepherd played by Jerome Flynn of the Game of Thrones.

The sheeple are also fighting for their survival, and Jacob and Cara Dutton’s responsibility lies with their family. While the generation of Costner’s Duttons is extremely wealthy, that of the Duttons of a century ago was much more difficult: “They can lose everything in a season,” says Ford. influx of railways and change in the livestock sector. It is a complicated time. It is a volatile time. They are rich in land, but poor in money, because everything is reinvested in the business, in the ranch. Everything is hard fought. I don’t consider them rich. I think they have a certain power based on their historical presence in the area and hard work ».

One key to their power is the women of the family, who are sometimes more open-minded and are ready to embrace the changes that will actually improve their lives. “There is an awareness, especially I think on Cara’s part, that change is coming and you have to change with him. You have to do it, ”says Mirren. «You must learn, you cannot think that things will go on forever as before. You have the ability to adapt, to change. I believe this is very true for women in general. Women tend to be more adaptable, more open to new ideas ».

“This is a story about the development of the country – and the nature and personality of this country are largely the product of the circumstances of this period of time.”