Annette Bening couldn't be more proud to be part of Dutton Ranch's record-breaking success.
The five-time Oscar nominee stars in the sequel spinoff to Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone as Beulah Jackson, the affluent owner of the 10 Pedal Ranch, who has a firm hold over the ranch and cattle industry in her small-town area of Rio Paloma, Texas. For much of Dutton Ranch season 1's run, Beulah and her ranch serve as antagonists for Kelly Reilly's Beth and Cole Hauser's Rip, particularly her out-of-control son Rob-Will, only for things to get complicated near the end of the season.
In an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan for her work on Apple TV's Lucky, Bening opened up about Dutton Ranch's massive success. When first asked about her new show's character, mob boss Priscilla Matheson, and how she and Beulah would interact, Bening found that the two wouldn't get along if interacting, explaining that her Yellowstone spinoff character is "not as corrupt as Priscilla":
Annette Bening: Beulah has her issues, but she feels really bad about what happens. Priscilla does to a degree, but then, if she has to sacrifice her son? Well, that happens.
Turning to the reception of her Paramount+ series, Bening expressed that it's been "really fun" to see Dutton Ranch be welcomed with open arms by both critics and fans of Sheridan's neo-Western franchise. The Oscar nominee went on to acknowledge that she's made "many small films that very few people ever saw or even knew that we made," but remains just as proud and caring of "those projects as anything I've ever done."
Even still, Dutton Ranch's success, which has led to a season 2 greenlight, of which she has "nothing official" to share just yet, has proven to be something very different for Bening:
Annette Bening: A lot of what we do, people don’t really see. Doing something that a lot of people actually see is really enjoyable. I also want people to have a good time, enjoy the show and be entertained. That’s fun for me.
In the wake of Yellowstone's divisive series finale, all eyes were on both of its sequel spinoffs, Dutton Ranch and Marshals, to see if Sheridan's his franchise could live on beyond the shadow of Kevin Costner's exit. Luke Grimes' series, following Kayce Dutton as he joins the U.S. Marshals, was an instant viewership hit for CBS, bringing in over nine million viewers in its premiere, even in spite of its negative reviews.
Dutton Ranch, on the other hand, instantly established itself both as a critical and a streaming hit. The series secured an 89% "Certified Fresh" approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, marking the highest score for a first season in the franchise since 1923's 88% showing. It also became Paramount+'s biggest original series launch with its premiere, and held the No. 1 spot on the platform for the majority of season 1's run.
In another stark contrast to Marshals, the renewal confirmation for Dutton Ranch season 2 notably came just ahead of season 1's penultimate episode, in spite of its success. While never explicitly stated by Paramount+, the reason for this was generally agreed to be the streamer, Sheridan and 101 Studios were searching for a new showrunner after the infamous firing of creator Chad Feehan due to reported creative clashes on set in season 1. This search eventually brought them to SEAL Team veteran Benjamin Cavell, who was confirmed less than a week after the renewal.
Though the star may not have much to share about the next season, the fact that Bening denotes she has "nothing official" to say on Dutton Ranch season 2 could indicate that she has had some preliminary talks with Cavell about where Beulah's arc may be going next. With her empire in the midst of crumbling, and the season 1 finale seeing the death of a member of her family, Bening is sure to be just as keen to know what's in store for the Jackson family when the Yellowstone spinoff returns.
