COUNTRY CALLING

Annette Bening Set to Lead ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff

The five-time Academy Award nominee is the newest face set to join the Western series.

Award-winning actress Annette Bening has been cast in the Yellowstone spinoff, tentatively titled The Dutton Ranch. Bening, 67, will play Beulah Jackson, a powerful head of a major ranch in Texas. Joining the star are Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly and Finn Little, who will reprise their original series roles as Rip Wheeler, Beth Dutton and Carter, respectively. Chad Feehan, who is the show runner on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, will also take the same role on The Dutton Ranch. Feehan will work alongside Yellowstone writer Taylor Sheridan. The Western drama spinoff will focus on characters Beth and Rip, with the official logline reading “Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler are grateful for the peace they sought, fought and nearly died for with their 7,000-acre Dutton Ranch. 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.” Prior to joining the Yellowstone franchise, Bening received her fifth Oscar nomination for playing long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad in the 2023 sports drama Nyad. In 2026, Bening will appear in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s horror sci-fi film The Bride alongside Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard.