INTERVIEW with two of the most beloved actors in the “Yellowstone” universe. What surprises 'Dutton Farm' brings: 'It's nothing we've seen before' / Big names joining the production

Rip and Beth, two of the main characters from the Yellowstone series, now have their own series. “Dutton Farm” is the latest “spin-off” to expand the universe created by filmmaker Taylor Sheridan. In an interview with the HotNews audience, actors Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, aka Rip and Beth, explained what the new production brings.

• “Dutton Farm” premiered on streaming platform SkyShowtime on Friday, May 22, when the first two episodes were released. A new episode will be released every Friday until the end of the nine-episode season.

“Dutton's Farm” is the second spin-off series this year for the “Yellowstone” series, following “Marshals”, which launched on SkyShowtime in March.

The first series, which revolved around Kayce Dutton's character, did not impress film critics, however, and some fans were rather disappointed by the major change in tone – namely that the show moved out of the confines of a ranch.

With “Dutton Farm” things are completely different in the new series, which is obvious from the title itself. And the first reactions are already being seen, considering that the series created by Taylor Sheridan for Paramount+ are broadcast first in the United States and soon come to Europe.

“Dutton's Farm” has an 88% approval rating from film critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, even slightly higher than the series that opened the “Yellowstone” universe. On IMDb, where regular viewers can also vote, the new series has an average score of 8.5 / 10, compared to 8.6 / 10 for “Yellowstone”.

Like “1883” and “1923”, the other two highly acclaimed series from the same universe, the new series comes with two well-known veteran Hollywood actors in the lead roles alongside Hauser and Reilly. It's Ed Harris, Oscar nominee for his roles in “Apollo 13,” “The Truman Show” and “The Hours,” and Annette Bening, who has five Academy Award nominations.

From Montana to Texas for the series “Dutton's Farm”

HotNews: The first question I'd like to ask you is, I think, the one that “Yellowstone” fans ask themselves: What can they expect from the new series?
Cole Hauser: It's a new journey, a new country, new people. Finally, obviously, coming off Season 6B of “Yellowstone,” we have a moment in Montana to kind of breathe. But things go wrong in Montana and we move to Texas for some peace and quiet. But that doesn't last very long. The temperature is starting to rise, literally.

And I think it's a great season that's like nothing we've seen before. And the cast is fantastic.

Obviously, the place is different. People are different. It's just a completely different series.

The new series opens with a very emotional scene where Beth and Rick talk about how they feel free for the first time in their lives. And then everything goes downhill. Will they try to rebuild what they had before or do they want to do something different with the Dutton legacy?
Kelly Reilly: I don't think any of them have any interest in building a ranch that people want to take away from them. That fight is over. I think the lessons have been learned.

In fact, the lessons, I think, motivate them to make the Dutton ranch for the two of them, sort of have their own business, and just put the battles behind them. But battles follow them.

So it's an interesting and exciting new journey, to see these characters who want to keep their peace. And it's not a matter of boring silence, they don't want to fight with everyone anymore to protect something. It's almost exhausting just to sit with the one next to you and care about them and get rid of that curse of fighting.

How does moving the story from Montana to Texas change things?
Cole Hauser: I don't think Beth and Rip realize how different Texas is until they get there.

There's a scene right at the beginning where we're both sitting on the porch, sweating like we're about to die. And it's four in the morning.

So cowboy life is different. It's just a different world.

And it's like, I've said this many times, you'd take them and literally put them on the moon. So they have to figure out how it all works. But the great thing about Beth and Rip is that they can do it. And they really do.

Kelly Reilly: If they have each other, I think they believe they can survive anything. And there were many “ghosts” in Montana. There were many things that they kind of wanted to leave behind for a while.

Heavy Names Adding to the 'Yellowstone' Universe

“Dutton Ranch” will have a defining feature of the “Yellowstone” universe, namely two well-known veteran actors joining the main cast. What can you tell us about Ed Harris and Annette Bening's roles in the series?
Kelly Reilly: Annette Bening plays a cattle rancher who owns the “10 Petal” ranch, which is next door to ours. We're a small ranch, a small property, whereas “10 Petal” I would think is probably the equivalent of “Yellowstone.”

And the way things are seen in Texas, the ranch has been in her family for generations, and she's been given the responsibility to protect it. And she doesn't like these two strangers who appear and become her neighbors.

Cole Hauser: And her family doesn't like it either.

Kelly Reilly: Exact. They have their own things that concern them. They kind of rival the Duttons in dysfunction.

Cole Hauser: And she, in turn, wanted the land on which we settled. We didn't know that, of course.

Kelly Reilly: Yes, he wanted our farm. But the people who sold it to us didn't want her to have it, for various reasons. So there's already tension, and Annette Bening plays this character, Beulah Jackson. She is the matriarch and is a force of nature and a wonderful opponent for me.

What was it like working with such a prolific actor like Ed Harris?

Cole Hauser: I don't know how much time you have, I could talk forever. Ed Harris is one of the… I mean, I'll just say he's one of my idols. Growing up, as a kid, one of the first movies in my house was The Right Stuff. I don't know if you know that movie, it has an incredible cast, but he really stood out for me.

And I watched him then, as a young actor, then as a young man, and then in my later years. It was a blessing and an honor to join this series.

And he probably doesn't know all this because I haven't told him, but I think highly of him, not just as an actor, but more importantly, as a person.

Kelly Reilly: I think it brings soul to our series. His heart is really… he has this kind of gentle wisdom as a character, but also as Ed. So he leads with his heart.

“To start all over again. And but, and the challenge”

In the end, what do you think is the main challenge for Beth and Rip in the new series “Dutton Ranch”
Cole Hauser: It starts from the very beginning. I would say the challenge is rebuilding. The challenge is finding peace. The challenge is somehow being able to parent a 19-year-old boy for the first time in their lives. And to be able to focus our energy on that and see that we're actually not doing such a good job. The challenge is to be a cowboy in a new world, in a new state. The challenge is to speak Spanish. You know, I mean, Rip has no idea what the people around him are saying in Texas.

Kelly Reilly: Challenges are everywhere. I mean we lost everything, these characters lost everything so many times. They are quite adept at adapting, but here they are like fish out of water.

Cole Hauser: Money is also a challenge. I mean, we're fake, in a sense. I put everything into this ranch. All the chips are on the table and I went “all in”.

Kelly Reilly: We literally lost everything except the clothes we were wearing. So, in its own way, starting over was both a gift and a challenge.