Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly talk about moving the world of “Yellowstone” to Texas to create “Dutton Ranch.”
‘Yellowstone’ spinoff ‘Dutton Ranch’ begins new chapter in Texas
Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly explain how “The Dutton Ranch” restarts Beth and Rip’s story in Texas with new challenges and new beginnings.
- “Yellowstone” spinoff “Dutton Ranch” follows Montana TV royalty Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton as they head to Texas.
- The new series was shot primarily outdoors in Texas, where challenges included extreme heat and venomous snakes.
- The spin-off will see Beth Dutton riding horses more often and will show her character’s change from past trauma.
Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly jump into the frying pan from the fire at “Dutton Ranch.”
Paramount+’s long-awaited Yellowstone spinoff (first two episodes available May 15) follows Montana’s royal TV couple Rip Wheeler (Hauser) and Beth Dutton (Reilly) as they are forced to evacuate their beloved state due to devastating, life-changing wildfires. After five turbulent seasons of Yellowstone (and two Dutton family prequels), the move to Texas marks a drastic change of location.
It’s also hotter than Hades, which was shot primarily outdoors near creator Taylor Sheridan’s massive, state-of-the-art studio in north-central Texas, just outside Fort Worth.
“Texas is a beast,” Hauser, 51, told USA TODAY, and Riley, 48, nodded in agreement. “We’re not on a sound stage, except for indoor shoots. I don’t think many people understand shooting in an environment like that. The idea of the crew and actors being outside, it’s 118 degrees outside, and then it starts snowing. It’s like you can’t dictate the weather.”
By all accounts, it’s a fresh start for Rip, Beth, and their adopted son Carter (Finn Little) in new territory with no friends, no shelter, and no Dutton friends. After all, patriarchs John (Kevin Costner) and Jamie (Wes Bentley) died while Casey (Luke Grimes) was fighting crime in Montana on CBS primetime’s “Marshalls.”
“That’s the point, this is not ‘Yellowstone,'” says Riley, the British actress who plays one of the most admired characters in Sheridan’s male-dominated world. “We had to take the characters out of the world they knew and into a new one, start them again, and grow them in a different direction.”
Snakes are an element of ‘Dutton Ranch’ both on and off screen
In addition to the heat, Texas has numerous threats and instantly challenging adversaries, including Beulah Jackson (five-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening), a traditional rancher who quickly appreciates Beth. “They’re kind of circling each other like animals,” Riley says. “I wanted these women to be completely different animals.”
“Dutton Ranch” and the set feature many other animal guest appearances, including wild pigs (2.6 million in Texas) and venomous snakes. Texas transplant director Christina Alexandra Volos said the vigilant snake catchers overseeing the production captured 275 snakes during filming.
“There are snakes on screen, but there are far more snakes that aren’t on camera,” Voros says. “There are a lot of things in Texas that can sting you, sting you, and scare you.”
Dutton Ranch home is perfect for modest Lip and Beth
The new Dutton Ranch is very different from the Dutton Ranch in Yellowstone or Rip and Beth’s temporary home overlooking the mountains outside Dillon, Montana. The new ranch comes with a porch (required) for drinking coffee, but it’s weathered and rustic and needs work.
“We love the city the way it is. It’s like Texas in the 1920s,” Hauser says. “And Rip and Beth are responsible for keeping the ranch the way it is. That’s who they are. They come from the glitz and glamor of the Dutton Ranch in Yellowstone, but personally, they prefer to stay out of sight and have some peace and quiet.”
Why is Beth suddenly riding the “Dutton Ranch”?
During “Yellowstone,” Beth didn’t ride much due to trauma from a childhood horse accident that led to her mother’s death. However, that trauma has passed and Riley is now able to show off his riding skills in the new series.
“Kelly is a great rider. She slipped right in,” says Hauser, who insists he doesn’t use a riding double. “He gets paid a lot of money for doing nothing.”
Riley, on the other hand, happily uses a replacement horse for riding, but as the camera proves, she’s also up to the task of riding.
“I’ve been riding bikes all my life,” Riley says. “But these horses are the best movie horses. My horse, Cowboy, is 25 years old. He’s been there and done that. He takes care of me.”
To demonstrate the characters’ post-Yellowstone freedom, the first scene of “Dutton Ranch” depicts Beth and Rip (before the fire) riding carefree through the breathtaking mountains of their Montana ranch.
“When we shot the Montana scenes in the mountains for the show’s opening, we had already been filming in Texas for two or three months,” Riley says. “Being back in Montana, we wanted some mountain air, and the horses were ready too. You should have seen the horses and how they held their heads. They just wanted to fly.”
In fact, the horse was galloping so fast that the photographer couldn’t keep up.
“They had a truck with a camera on a gimbal and they kept telling us to slow down,” Hauser said. “But those horses really wanted to go.”
The horses’ love of Montana is a reminder that Texas has accommodated all living things.
“It was a big change. Montana was the biggest character[in Yellowstone],” Riley says. “So now we have a new character in Texas. We’re sizing it up, but it’s also sizing us up.”
But Hauser is confident that Yellowstone fans will love the film as much as he does.
“It was very difficult at times, but in my opinion, the backdrop – our ranch, the terrain, the sunsets – is really captivating,” Hauser says. “We hope that older audiences who are used to the beauty of Montana will find beauty in Texas as well.”
