Annette Bening to star in the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff series about Beth and Rip

The Yellowstone spinoff series about Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler is finally coming together. The project was first announced in December 2024, confirming that the season 5 finale of Taylor Sheridan's series wasn't the end for standouts Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser. However, the spinoff had remained untitled for the past few months until August 25, 2025.

It's now confirmed, via a Deadline exclusive, that the working title is The Dutton Ranch, along with new details about the cast. Besides Reilly and Hauser reprising their roles as Beth and Rip, Finn Little will also return as Carter. He was the angry boy Beth met and was later taken in by the Dutton family, who later became one of the ranch hands.

Another casting detail from Deadline reveals that five-time Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening will be joining the returning cast members from the flagship series. She will play Beulah Jackson, described by the outlet as a "powerful, cunning, and charming head of a major ranch in Texas."

Annette Bening joins The Dutton Ranch cast (Image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty)

The veteran actress, whose career spans over four decades, has been nominated for the Academy Award five times, for The Grifters, American Beauty, Being Julia, The Kids Are All Right, and Nyad. She also starred in The Women, Ruby Sparks, Georgetown, and the Peacock whodunnit TV series Apple Never Fall.

So far, the four of them are the only confirmed cast members in the Yellowstone spinoff.

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What to know about the Yellowstone spinoff, The Dutton Ranch, so far

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler will be the main characters in the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff, The Dutton Ranch. The casting confirmation of Annette Bening, along with her character description, suggests she will be someone challenging the couple in the spinoff.

As Deadline revealed in December 2024, the spinoff will take place on the same present-day timeline as the flagship show. The Dutton Ranch will pick up following the events of the Yellowstone series finale, after the Duttons fought to keep their ranch. A description of the show reads, per Variety:

"The Dutton Ranch, home to Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, is a testament to the peace they sought, fought for, and nearly died for, as they've come to cherish their 7,000-acre ranch."

As fans of the original series would recall, Beth killed her brother Jamie and got away with murder in the finale. She also surprised Rip with a property in Dillon, Montana. By the end of the series, it became home for her, Rip, and their adopted son, although not technically adopted, Carter. The new property is a place far from tourists, two hours from Yellowstone.

The series finale showed them getting situated in their Dillon home, which will be the new setting for the Yellowstone spinoff. Like the flagship series, The Dutton Ranch will be a story of survival for another generation of the Duttons. The series description further reads:

"With tough times and stiff competition, Beth and Rip do what they must to survive, all while ensuring Carter becomes the man he's supposed to be."

Taylor Sheridan is set to executive produce the series, with Chad Feehan serving as the showrunner. The two previously collaborated on Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Feehan's credits include Banshee, Rectify, and Ray Donovan.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on The Dutton Ranch as production gets underway.