‘Dutton Ranch’ Season 2 Gets Major Behind-the-Scenes Change With New Showrunner

Paramount is making a major change behind the scenes of Dutton Ranch as the Yellowstone spinoff prepares to return for its second season.

The studio has brought in Benjamin Cavell as the new showrunner for Season 2, according to reports. Cavell takes over the role from Chad Feehan, who stepped away from leading the series in June after helping guide its first season.

Cavell is a familiar name in television, with experience working on several major projects. He is known for his work on shows like Justified, SEAL Team, and The Stand. His background in crime dramas, military stories, and large-scale adaptations makes him a strong fit for the expanding Yellowstone universe.

The move comes shortly after Paramount officially renewed Dutton Ranch for a second season. The series quickly became a major success for the company, becoming the biggest original series debut in Paramount+ history. Its premiere on Paramount Network also delivered one of the strongest cable launches in recent years, showing that audiences are still highly interested in stories connected to the Yellowstone world.

Dutton Ranch continues the story of Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, played by Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, who return from Yellowstone in their fan-favorite roles. The two actors recently addressed the behind-the-scenes changes during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and explained that changes like this are common in television.

“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.” Reilly also shared positive thoughts about working with Feehan during the first season and praised the creative process behind the show.

“We finished [season one] with Chad beautifully,” Reilly said. “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. We’re all creative minds and we all work together and I’m so proud of that.”

With Cavell now taking over, Season 2 will have a new creative leader while continuing the story established in the first season.

The new showrunner brings a long list of credits to the project. Cavell created the series The Institute, based on Stephen King’s novel, and also created SEAL Team for CBS and Paramount+. He was also a co-creator of The Stand and worked on Justified for six seasons, eventually becoming an executive producer on the acclaimed series.

The first season of Dutton Ranch featured a strong cast alongside Reilly and Hauser, including Finn Little, Juan Pablo Raba, Jai Courtney, J.R. Villarreal, Marc Menchaca, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Oscar nominees Ed Harris and Annette Bening.

The series is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios, the same companies behind the larger Yellowstone franchise. While details about the story for Season 2 remain under wraps, the addition of Cavell signals that Paramount wants to keep building on the success of the latest chapter in the Dutton family saga.

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