A Yellowstone spinoff involving Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler just revealed its first A-list star, and frankly, it’s an inspired decision.
Oscar nominee Annette Bening is going to join Kelly Reilly (Beth), Cole Hauser (Rip) and Finn Little, who played Carter, Beth/Rip’s quasi-adopted son during the last two seasons of Yellowstone.
There was a bit of less exciting news alongside Bening’s reveal, but we’ll save that until the end. When you read her character description, you may get sent back in time to all the emotions of Beth Dutton’s greatest confrontations.
- Dutton Ranch (working title) will stream on Paramount+. The timeline is unknown.
- This new show will pick up on the same timeline as Yellowstone.
- At the end of Season 5, Beth and Rip moved off John Dutton’s ranch to their own property in Montana.
Related: 11 Stunning Landman Facts, Including the Truth About Jerry Jones
Annette Bening’s Most Famous Roles
Annette Bening has a handful of Oscar nominations, one Emmy win and a bunch of Tony Award noms. For me, she’ll always be Carolyn Burnham, Lester’s (Kevin Spacey) wife in American Beauty.
The role was quietly evil. In fact, if you were to write down her character traits on paper and send that note to a friend, your friend might say that this sounds like a pretty stable person. Carolyn is driven, organized and confident. Still, you couldn’t help but hate her. No one wanted to be like Lester’s wife, and no man longed to marry a woman that halts spontaneous love-making because a little beer may spill on the sofa.
I’ll get to her role in Dutton Ranch in a moment, but first, here are a few other notable roles Bening has had:
The Great Outdoors (1988)
The Grifters (1990) *
The American President (1995)
Mars Attacks! (1996)
Open Range (2003)
Being Julia (2004) *
The Kids Are Alright (2010) *
Apples Never Fall (2024)
*Oscar nominee
I’m always fascinated by how Taylor Sheridan seems to return to the same projects to pluck new cast members. American Horror Story is certainly a favorite, as over time a number of this series’ stars has turned up in a Yellowstone show.
Should American Beauty be another, I won’t be mad about it. If you recall, Wes Bentley (Jamie Dutton) played next door neighbor Ricky Fitts in the film.
Who Is Annette Bening in ‘Dutton Ranch’?
Per Deadline, on this new Yellowstone spinoff, Bening is going to play Beulah Jackson, “the powerful, cunning and charming head of a major ranch in Texas.”
There is an obvious question to be answered about why a rancher in Texas matters to ranchers in Montana, but the show will explain. That description though — “powerful,” cunning,” “charming” — Beth Dutton is going to hate this woman.
She’s Caroline Warner mixed with Sarah Atwood, and you know how things went for those two ladies. It’s rare a cast announcement elicits a physiological response, but I’m over here imagining the first time Beth gives Beulah an icy glare and loving it.
When Does ‘Dutton Ranch’ Begin?
No official timeline for Dutton Ranch has been revealed, but most insiders predict it will be sometime in 2026. The show is currently filming in Texas.
In addition to the Bening news, Paramount revealed Chad Feehan will serve as showrunner. He was previous involved in Lawmen: Bass Reeves on Paramount+.
On the Dutton Rules podcast, my co-host Adison Haager and I roundly panned this show, but it was served up during the pandemic, so maybe it was just a bad time for TV.
17 Most Stunning Yellowstone Franchise Deaths
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
34 ‘Yellowstone’ Facts You Probably Didn’t Know
The real-life marriage? Who has the most kills? Who told Taylor Sheridan “No”? These have all been added before Season 5 of Yellowstone resumes on Nov. 10.
John’s kids? Beth’s accent? Rainwater’s guitar playing? Tate’s spoilers? They’re also included on this list of 34 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Yellowstone.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
