It'll be a while before we see any Duttons onscreen again. Filming for 1923 Season 2, which was due to begin June 5, has been "delayed indefinitely" due to the ongoing writers' strike, which has halted productions across Hollywood.
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NBC Montana reported that Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone prequel series, which stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as ancestral Duttons in the Roaring Twenties, has been postponed. 1923 films at the Butte Civic Center in Butte, Montana, with the production paying $75,000 per month to occupy the picturesque main street. Per the outlet, Civic Center manager Bill Melvin was informed by the production that filming was "delayed indefinitely" amidst the Writers Guild strike, which began May 2 and has no end in sight.
News of 1923's production shutdown echoes similar uncertainties about the final few episodes of Yellowstone, which were originally slated to film this August and air in December. Last week, series lead Kevin Costner stated in divorce proceedings that he did not anticipate "being on location" in Montana to film Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 for the remainder of 2023. Now, it's looking like the writers' strike is to blame for Yellowstone's delayed return.
1923, which debuted its chart-topping first season on Paramount+ last December, earned a speedy Season 2 renewal earlier this year. The eight-episode sophomore outing will finish off the 20th-century saga, which also stars Brandon Sklenar, Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, Julia Schlaepfer, Aminah Nieves, and Jerome Flynn.
While the WGA work stoppage prevents guild members from writing on film and TV projects, 1923 cast members have indicated in various interviews this year that franchise creator and writer Taylor Sheridan has already penned at least one episode of 1923 Season 2. Speaking to Esquire in February, Brandon Sklenar, who plays prodigal son, Spencer Dutton, teased a "powerful homecoming" for his character in 1923's Season 2 premiere.
"It's going to be a powerful homecoming," Sklenar told the outlet. "The man we meet in Episode 1 of Season 2 is a much different man from who we see at the end of this season. So, it's going to be exciting to get into that new version of Spencer."
Melvin says that 1923's production has extended its contract with the Butte Civic Center. The show is currently shelling out $75,000 per month to occupy the space. If the writers' strike continues, 1923 can request further contract extensions to maintain the production hub through the end of 2023.
1923 Season 1 is now available to stream on Paramount+.
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