The Yellowstone universe continues its long-standing tradition of casting Academy Award-winning and nominated talented joining the casts of its series. Oscar winner Kevin Costner, of course, led the cast of the flagship series, while Sam Elliott starred in 1883 and Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren starred in 1923. Don't forget, Michelle Pfeiffer will also star in The Madison spinoff series!
However, the forthcoming direct spinoff to the flagship series just landed a talented Academy Award-nominated star who might be the universe's best addition yet. According to Deadline, Annette Bening has officially joined the cast of the upcoming Beth and Rip spinoff series, which currently has the working title of The Dutton Ranch. She'll star alongside Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly.
The five-time Oscar nominee will play a new character named Beulah Jackson, who's described as "powerful, cunning, and charming" and runs a major ranch in Texas. She will cross paths with Beth and Rip in the new series, which will also star Finn Little as a series regular, reprising his role as Carter from Yellowstone. Beyond the returning stars, this is the star power the spinoff needed!
Dutton Ranch scores Oscar nominee and new showrunner
In addition to the exciting news that Annette Bening has joined the cast, The Dutton Ranch also landed an official showrunner who will be helming the spinoff. Lawmen: Bass Reeves creator Chad Feehan has been named the showrunner, reuniting him with Taylor Sheridan. Since Lawmen: Bass Reeves has been one of the more critically acclaimed Sheridan shows, we're in great hands.
The new series will catch back up with Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler on the Dutton Ranch having settled into their sprawling land that's still worth putting up a fight for. As the early synopsis suggests, Beth and Rip will continue to face competition and "tough times," all while helping mentor Carter. That competition just might come from Bening's newcomer Beulah Jackson.
Even though The Dutton Ranch was previously pegged for a release in fall 2025 on Paramount+, the streamer recently confirmed that the spinoff series had been delayed and benched until 2026. A reason wasn't shared, though it's clear that putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together, like Bening's casting and other sure to be announced, took longer than anticipated.
It's unclear whether filming has started on The Dutton Ranch, though if the series is expected to be released sometime in 2026, cameras should begin rolling before the end of the year. Sheridan's series tend to have a rather quick turnaround time and begin shooting before he's finished writing. The spinoff's a major priority for Paramount+ to get to fans quickly but with great quality.
Bening was previously nominated for Oscars for her performances in the films The Grifters, American Beauty, Being Julia, The Kids Are Alright, and Nyad. She landed an Emmy Award nomination for her performance in the HBO movie Mrs. Harris. On the small screen, she starred in the Peacock mystery miniseries Apples Never Fall and will next be seen in Apple TV+'s Lucky.
Stay tuned for more Yellowstone news and updates from Show Snob!