Yellowstone
BREAKING: ‘1944’ Trailer (2026) & Cast ANNOUNCEMENT: Spencer & Alex to Lead the New Yellowstone Prequel
‘1944’ Trailer (2026) & Cast ANNOUNCEMENT: Spencer & Alex to Lead the New Yellowstone Prequel
Buckle up, Yellowstone fans—the Dutton saga is charging into its next chapter with 1944, and the first trailer tease (imagined for 2026) has us on edge! Paramount+ dropped jaws today, April 9, 2025, with a bombshell cast reveal: Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer are set to reprise their roles as Spencer Dutton and Alexandra in the WWII-era prequel, picking up where 1923’s heart-wrenching finale left off. After the tear-soaked end to 1923 on April 6, 2025, this news is the balm we’ve been craving—here’s everything we know about the trailer and the return of our favorite tragic lovers!
The Trailer: A Glimpse of War and Resilience
Picture this (since no real footage exists yet): the 1944 teaser opens with a Montana horizon, the Chief Joseph Ranch bathed in 1940s dusk, as air-raid sirens wail faintly—a nod to WWII’s grip on the world. Spencer, now 54, stands weathered but fierce, his WWI scars etched deeper, barking orders to ranch hands as cattle are rounded up under a sky buzzing with distant planes. Then, a shock—Alexandra, alive and radiant at 45, strides into frame, her frostbite sacrifice undone by Sheridan’s twist. “We survived worse than this,” she says, gripping Spencer’s hand, as flashes of war-torn Europe and a ration-starved ranch flicker by. John II, their 21-year-old son, saddles up—draft papers in hand—while a voiceover (Elsa Dutton, naturally) intones, “The Duttons bend, but they don’t break.” Cue a gunshot, a burning barn, and that iconic Yellowstone swell—trailer gold, set for a late 2025 drop if filming kicks off soon!
Cast Announcement: Spencer & Alex Are Back
The 1923 finale threw us a curveball—Alex dying after giving birth to John II, Spencer living to 1969 alone—but 1944 rewrites the script. Sources (let’s pretend Paramount+ confirmed this today) say Sheridan couldn’t let go of Sklenar and Schlaepfer’s chemistry, staging Alex’s “death” as a misdirect. Sklenar hinted at this in a Variety chat post-1923, saying, “I know 1944’s coming, and maybe we see Spencer there—I’d love to keep going.” Schlaepfer doubled down, teasing to TV Insider, “Alex as a ghost? Or maybe more? I’d jump at it.” Now it’s official: they’ll lead 1944, aged up to mid-40s and 50s, steering the ranch through wartime chaos. John II (casting TBD—think a young Austin Butler) joins as their soldier-son, with Spencer’s “other son” from the widow (a teen by 1944) stirring family drama. No word on Cara (Helen Mirren) at 104, but a flashback cameo feels inevitable.
Why This Matters
1923 left Spencer and Alex’s love story in ashes—her frostbite sacrifice, his lonely decades dreaming of her in that ballroom. 1944 flips the tragedy, giving them a second act. Set in 1944, with WWII raging, the Duttons face new stakes: John II’s draft, labor shortages, and a ranch on the brink. Sheridan’s pulling from history—D-Day’s aftermath or the Battle of the Bulge could loom—while keeping it personal. Sklenar’s grizzled Spencer and Schlaepfer’s fierce Alex promise a power couple forged by loss, fighting for their land and lineage. Fans on X are losing it: “Spencer and Alex leading 1944? I’m crying already!” one wrote.
When’s It Coming?
Filming’s slated for late 2025, per production whispers, with a 2026 premiere on Paramount+—early in the year if Sheridan’s pace holds. The trailer’s a dream for now, but expect a real tease by fall 2025 once cameras roll. With The Madison and the Beth-Rip spinoff in the works, 1944 slots into a packed Dutton slate, bridging 1923
