The actor tells PEOPLE he’s optimistic about the future of the hit ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff under new showrunner Benjamin Cavell
Cole Hauser is looking ahead to a new chapter for Dutton Ranch.
As Paramount+‘s hit Yellowstone spinoff prepares for season 2, the actor tells PEOPLE he’s excited to continue Rip Wheeler’s journey under new showrunner Benjamin Cavell.
“You’re gonna have to wait, but yes,” Hauser, 51, says when asked whether fans will see a new side of Rip in season 2, while promoting Free Reign’s American Dirt Protein Coffee.
“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 [Kelly Reilly] and Carter [Finn Little] and the show in general,” he shares. “I think this is going to be a really nice next step.”
Earlier this month, Paramount+ renewed Dutton Ranch for a second season after the series became the biggest original launch in the streamer’s history, drawing 12.9 million viewers worldwide in its first week. On June 30, the streamer confirmed Cavell would take over as showrunner and executive producer following creator Chad Feehan’s departure ahead of the series premiere.
Cavell’s credits include creating SEAL Team and MGM+’s The Institute, co-creating The Stand and serving as a writer and co-executive producer on Homeland.
Prior to the renewal, Hauser and costar Kelly Reilly addressed the creative transition in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Showrunners change all the time. This business is about adapting. We’ve been doing this for a long time. Things change. People move on,” Hauser said.
Reilly, 49, also praised Feehan’s work on the first season.
“We finished this season together. It was a really difficult but really satisfying show to make. And so was Yellowstone. So is anything worth making,” she said.
“We’re all creative minds and we all work together and I’m so proud of that,” she added.
Reflecting on the show’s renewal, Hauser says it was gratifying to see months of hard work pay off.
“I knew a little bit before everybody else,” he said. “Kelly and I, Christina Voros and everybody who was involved put in a ton of work last year, and it came out. The critics obviously like it a lot, which is kind of a new thing. I don’t think all of the shows that we’ve done have been received that way, so it was nice to see the critics. Then the numbers kind of speak for themselves.”
Looking back on filming season 1, Hauser says the nine-month production took its toll on the cast and crew.
“I don’t remember any of it being really hard. I think it was the end of the nine months of work, so I think I was a bit wiped out. The cast and crew were wiped out,” he says of filming the finale.
“We went through a lot of weather issues with the heat, then the freezing cold, and there were ice storms. It was just nuts. I think everybody at the very end of Episode 9 was ready to take a breather, go home, rest up and get ready for this next year.”
Still, Hauser says the response from both audiences and critics made the demanding shoot worthwhile.
“All in all, I think the whole season was tough, but it was very rewarding in the end. The audience loved it. The critics loved it. I can’t wait to continue to make Dutton Ranch as good as it can be.”
Before production begins on season 2 in early 2027, Hauser says he’s planning to slow down for a bit.
“Taking a breather,” he says.
And when he’s not filming, the actor’s ideal morning is a quiet one.
“Waking up. I live on the ocean, so just kind of zoning out, staring at the water, watching the birds wake up, taking it slow and watching the house come alive with the kids, my wife and my five dogs,” he shares.
Season 2 of Dutton Ranch is expected to begin production in early 2027
