When Yellowstone's ended its run entrenched in unfortunate chaos, the future of arguably one of the most popular television franchises of the past decade didn't seem particularly bright. But the triumphant return of the Western saga with spinoffs Marshals and Dutton Ranch this year proved that there's still plenty of gas left in the tank for Taylor Sheridan's beloved series.
Quickly after Dutton Ranch premiered on Paramount+ with quite the incredible ratings impact, the streamer renewed the spinoff series for a second season, though there's still some waiting to go before Rip and Beth are back on our screens. That's not the only update that might be causing some concern for fans, as the series also hit a behind-the-scenes shakeup.
While it's not nearly as dramatic as the shakeups that went down behind the scenes on the original series, Dutton Ranch season 2 lost its creator Chad Feehan, who stepped down as showrunner before the series premiered. The second season will have Benjamin Cavell taking over at the show's helm, and series star Cole Hauser is teasing fans with the exciting possibilities to come.
Cole Hauser previews Dutton Ranch season 2's new direction
Hauser chatted with People and offered the limited hints he could about Dutton Ranch season 2 before cameras even start rolling, and the actor sang the praises of the series' new showrunner. If fans had any doubts the spinoff would be experiencing a creative overhaul between the first and second seasons, Hauser has officially made sure excitement remains high.
"We have a wonderful new showrunner, Benjamin Cavell, and I’ve been talking to him. He’s a very special guy, and I think the future is bright—not only for myself, but Beth and Carter and the show in general. I think this is going to be a really nice next step," Hauser assured fans via People.
If the future didn't seem bright, Hauser probably would have expressed some sort of sentiment about season 2 finding its footing, since this cast tends to speak honestly about the series. But as an executive producer and one of the co-leads, he's been speaking with Cavell about the direction of the follow-up season, and all of the characters appear to be in very good hands.
Cavell wasn't previously involved in Dutton Ranch or the Yellowstone franchise, but he has experience on hit series like Justified, Homeland, SEAL Team, The Institute, and The Stand. Again, Dutton Ranch fans are in good hands. These are shows that fans loved to watch and Cavell's point of view can only add necessary ingredients to the brewing drama coming up in season 2.
Hauser wasn't able to tease too many spoilers about the upcoming season, but he suggested that we will be seeing a new side of Rip in season 2, which could mean a number of things. But we'll just have to wait and see how the character fans have known and loved for years continues to evolve in this next chapter of the story. A chapter that begins filming early next year.
That's probably the biggest bummer for fans. Production isn't expected to being on Dutton Ranch season 2 until February 2027, giving the cast and crew the rest of 2026 to rest after a grueling production and promotional process for season 1. That means, the second season likely won't premiere on Paramount+ until sometime in late 2027. The anticipation couldn't be higher!
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