Look Out, Yellowstone & 1883: Another Bass Reeves Series Is in the Works With Morgan Freeman

The next iteration of the Yellowstone mega-hit spin-off 1883 might have some competition. Just over a month after Paramount+ announced that 1883: The Bass Reeves Story is in the works, it was revealed on Wednesday that Amazon Prime Video has its own Bass Reeves project in development.

Morgan Freeman will star in Prime Video's Twin Territories, a Wild West drama about real-life historical figure Reeves, who was the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Deadline reported on Wednesday. The series has yet to cast the titular character, but Freeman, who has been pushing for a Bass Reeves project for 30 years, will play a mentor figure to the famous lawman, said executive producer Ben Watkins (Hand of God), per Deadline.

Everything to Know About 1883: The Bass Reeves Story

Freeman said that growing up watching Westerns, he was disappointed the only Black characters shown were comedic, never the heroes of the story. "That's not American history at all, so here's a chance to redo that, to straighten out some kinks in history," Freeman told Deadline.

In Taylor Sheridan's six-episode 1883 followup on Paramount+, David Oyelowo will star Reeves. It remains to be seen how his story will intersect with that of the Duttons and the rest of the Yellowstone universe.

Neither series will mark the first time Bass Reeves has been depicted in Hollywood. He has been portrayed in multiple TV shows and movies, including Watchmen (played by Jamal Akakpo), Legends of Tomorrow (David Ramsey), Wynonna Earp (Adrian Holmes), Timeless (Colman Domingo), and The Harder They Fall (Delroy Lindo), and was referenced on Justified. Reeves is also thought to be the inspiration behind The Lone Ranger.

With two streamers working on Bass Reeves series simultaneously, is the town big enough for the both of them? Watkins says yes.

"I think we all agree Bass Reeves was a hero who deserves all the stories to be told," he told Deadline. "There should be a hundred versions of Bass Reeves out already, and we've never looked at the fact that there are other projects out there as a bad thing."

Find out everything you need to know about 1883: The Bass Reeves Story. Read more about Twin Territories over at Deadline.