Helen Mirren to star in "Yellowstone" prequel

Stars of '1932': Paramount declared "Yellowstone" the top TV franchise of 2021, based on ratings and Blu-ray/DVD/digital sales, and 2022 will likely be a banner year, too — especially after Season 5 of the Kevin Costner-led series launches Sunday, Nov. 13.

Earlier this year, the series' "1883" spinoff, starring Tim McGraw ("The Blind Side," 2009), Faith Hill ("The Stepford Wives," 2004) and Sam Elliott ("The Ranch"), became Paramount 's all-time most-watched title, even spawning its own offshoot, "1883: The Bass Reeves Story," which marks the continuation of the saga (but with a focus on the titular Black lawman instead).

The streamer's next new prequel series, "1932," already has a December premiere date and that installment will be yet another star-studded affair.

Screen legend Harrison Ford (yes, Indiana Jones and Han Solo himself) and Oscar winner Helen Mirren ("The Queen," 2006) will star in the highly anticipated prequel, which will expand the "Yellowstone" origin story by exploring another branch of the increasingly complex Dutton family tree.

Not much is known about Mirren and Ford's characters, and no other cast members have been announced yet, but we do know that "1932" will focus on a new generation of the Dutton family — those living in the early 20th century, a time "when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition and the Great Depression all plague the Mountain West."

Ford and Mirren will bring an awful lot of star power (and attention) to this installment, and since studios aren't revealing much info, fans have been speculating that Mirren and Ford are the likely leads of "1932," cast as the elders of this generation of Duttons.

In the meantime, Mirren has several movies coming out in 2022, including the sequel to the 2019 film "Shazam!" starring Zachary Levi ("Chuck"). As for Ford, the 79-year-old actor will next star in the Apple TV comedy "Shrinking," marking his first role as a TV series regular. He will also, of course, appear in "Indiana Jones 5," the final installment of the beloved adventure film series slated to hit theaters in June 2023.

Out of 'Order': "Law & Order" alumnus Anthony Anderson just came back … to say goodbye? Well no, not exactly.

The actor recently reprised his role as Det. Kevin Bernard in NBC's revival of "Law & Order." Season 21 ended its run last month and, to the relief of fans still haunted by the series' unceremonious cancellation in 2010, NBC quickly picked up the show for a 22nd installment.

Alas, Anderson, whose ABC sitcom "Black-ish" ended in April, only had a one-year deal to appear in the NBC show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anderson and his on-screen character, who was introduced to viewers in Season 18 (back in 2008), won't be returning next season.

Anderson will be missed, especially since the Season 21 finale's storyline didn't hint at any planned exit.

According to Deadline, Anderson agreed to return for the one season as a show of support for Dick Wolf and the "Law & Order" re-launch, but he always intended to move on after that. There are no bad feelings between Anderson and NBCUniversal, either. In fact, Anderson's upcoming reality/comedy/travel series, "Anthony Anderson and Mom: European Vacation," is headed to E! in 2023.

It's worth noting that Anderson's fellow "Law & Order" star and series mainstay Sam Waterston also had a one-year deal to reprise his role as prosecutor Jack McCoy. That had fans worried once Season 21 wrapped, though they were a little more hopeful after Waterston's appearance on stage last month at the NBCUniversal Upfronts — a network event that showcases the big stars and programming highlights for the upcoming season.

AMC's 'Demascus': "Station 19" actor Okieriete Onaodowan has been tapped to lead the cast of AMC's newest half-hour comedy series.

If you're a fan of the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff (spoilers for those not yet caught up), you'll recall that Onaodowan's character, Dean Miller, died onscreen during the Nov. 11 crossover event. While Onaodowan was one of the few remaining original cast members at the time, the actor had reportedly requested to leave the series at the end of Season 4, but agreed to appear in the first few episodes of Season 5 to wrap up his character's story.

Onaodowan, who originated the roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the musical "Hamilton," has since been cast in an upcoming season of Amazon Prime Video's "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan." And now he'll have an even bigger role — the main one — in AMC's "Damascus."

Created by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm ("Boomerang"), the six-episode series was picked up in February as part of AMC's script-to-series development model. It's been billed as "a character-driven exploration of life as an ordinary Black man in America today" and centers on Demascus (Onaodowan), a 33-year-old man who uses innovative new technology to experience different versions of his own life, shifting between his primary reality and psychological explorations.

It is expected to debut on both AMC and its streamer, AMC , in 2023.