‘Dutton Ranch’ Stars Kelly Reilly & Cole Hauser Break Silence on Taylor Sheridan Firing the Creator

Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser are reflecting on the unexpected exit of Dutton Ranch‘s showrunner and creator ahead of the series premiere.

Entertainment Weekly confirmed in April that showrunner Chad Feehan would not be returning for another round of the Yellowstone spinoff, should it be renewed. The development came three weeks before the series was set to debut on Paramount+ and the Paramount Network.

Hauser and Reilly, who reprise their roles as beloved Yellowstone characters Rip and Beth on the drama, were asked about Feehan’s exit and how it affects a potential second season of Dutton Ranch in a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

“Showrunners change all the time,” Hauser said. “This business is about adapting. We’ve been doing this for a long time. Things change. People move on.” At the time of the interview, Reilly said that “we don’t have a season two yet,” though a second season has since been confirmed. “We finished [season one] with Chad beautifully. We finished this season together,” she said. “It was a really difficult but really satisfying show to make. And so was Yellowstone. So is anything worth making.”

Reilly continued, “We’re all creative minds and we all work together and I’m so proud of that. But if we get a season two, we don’t make those decisions.”

Feehan worked with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan on Lawmen: Bass Reeves prior to taking on Dutton Ranch. The David Oyelowo-led Western aired for a single season in 2023. Feehan’s Bass Reeves collaborator Christina Alexandra Voros — who also served as a director, executive producer, and cinematographer on Dutton Ranch — reacted to his exit in an interview last month.

“I think Chad did an exceptional job building a world of adversaries for Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) to come up against in this new chapter of their lives,” she told ScreenRant at the time. “Any speculation about a season 2 is beyond my knowledge. And I’m grateful to him and his team for creating a world for these characters to move into.”

Dutton Ranch follows Beth and Rip as they trade in Big Sky Country for the Lone Star State. However, the couple and their son Carter (Finn Little) soon find themselves courting danger from a rival ranch spearheaded by matriarch Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening).

“Beth and Rip are among the most iconic duos in television history and we are thrilled to bring a whole new world to life with Dutton Ranch for our subscribers around the world,” Jane Wiseman, head of originals for Paramount+, said when the season 2 renewal was announced. “We’re also incredibly grateful to our partners, including the teams at Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios, for bringing this new series to life with such grit, heart, and authenticity.” The series also stars Ed Harris, Jai Courtney, Marc Menchaca, Natalie Alyn Lind, Juan Pablo Raba, and J.R. Villarreal.

New episodes of Dutton Ranch premiere weekly, with the season 1 finale set to be released July 3.