Paramount Keeps 'Yellowstone' Prequel '1944' in Active Development as Sheridan Expands Franchise Across Networks

Paramount is pressing ahead with "1944," Taylor Sheridan's long-shelved Yellowstone prequel, according to new reporting from Matt Webb Mitovich via MovieWeb, ending an extended public silence around one of the franchise's most opaque projects. The development arrives as Sheridan continues assembling a multi-platform television empire, having recently inked a major deal with NBCUniversal while his Yellowstone properties remain spread across Paramount+ and CBS — a cross-network positioning that underscores the IP's unusual commercial weight.

A Franchise That Keeps Expanding

Sheridan built the Yellowstone universe into one of the defining neo-Western franchises of the streaming era, and he has shown little appetite for stopping there. The existing universe already spans two prequels — "1883" and "1923" — alongside the in-development spin-offs "Marshals," set to air on CBS, and "Dutton Ranch," headed to Paramount+. "1944" has been known to exist for years, yet unlike the rest of the franchise, it has generated almost no public information, no plot details, and no release window. Mitovich's report confirms the project is alive; the Hollywood Reporter had reached the same conclusion in reporting from last October, noting that "1944" remained in Sheridan's plans following his NBCUniversal agreement.

The Narrative Logic of a WWII-Era Entry

The Yellowstone universe has consistently used military service as a character-building device for its male leads. Spencer Dutton, featured in "1923," served in World War I. John Dutton fought in Vietnam. Kayce Dutton is a combat-hardened Navy SEAL. The title "1944" places the story squarely in the final years of World War II, making it reasonable to expect that a Dutton-line male protagonist will again carry military service as a defining trait. Beyond that, the source of the story draws no firm narrative conclusions, and no plot specifics have surfaced publicly. What appears settled is that the Montana ranch will remain the story's geographic anchor, consistent with every other entry in the franchise.

Sheridan's Multi-Network Leverage

The more strategically significant thread running through "1944's" revival is what Sheridan's positioning across Paramount and NBCUniversal says about the value networks and streaming platforms now assign to proven IP. His ability to develop content simultaneously across competing platforms reflects an industry in which a single franchise creator can command terms that would have been unusual even five years ago. With "Marshals" going to CBS rather than Paramount+, Sheridan is clearly not bound to a single distribution window. Whether "1944" ultimately lands at Paramount+ or migrates to another platform has not been disclosed, and no production timeline has been made public.

For now, the project is alive — and in the Yellowstone universe, that is typically enough to sustain audience interest until the cameras roll.