Although the Duttons are still keeping things interesting on our screens, it’s a whole new behind-the-scenes family for the cast of Taylor Sheridan‘s western TV franchise.
Cole Hauser, who reprises his role as Rip Wheeler, recently opened up about the “challenges” of filming Dutton Ranch without parent series Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan at the helm, following Dutton Ranch creator, EP and director Chad Feehan’s departure after completing the first season.
“There were challenges, you know?” explained Hauser to Film Inside NYC. “Not having Taylor [Sheridan] there, for us to really kind of be able to work with these new writers, these new directors, these people—verything had changed.
Hauser noted the “only normality that we had whatsoever on set” was himself and returning Yellowstone co-stars Finn Little and Kelly Reilly, as well as director Christina Alexandra Voros.
“I enjoy a challenge, it certainly was a challenge. We worked our asses off this year,” he added. “And I don’t think a lot of the outside noise or the thought of ‘what’s the weight of the show?’ was really apparent to me at the time.”
While the new on-set environment was an adjustment for Hauser, he explained that the experience brought the cast closer together while filming the Paramount+ spin-off series.
“It was about putting my head down and working my ass off with what I had around me. The writers that we had, the new writers that we had, that we had to figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story. So, I’m proud of what we accomplished, and I look forward to doing it again,” said Hauser.
Last month, SEAL Team creator Benjamin Cavell was tapped to take over as showrunner for Season 2 of Dutton Ranch.
As for why Feehan exited the series, sources tell Deadline he delivered as a writer, but faced challenges handling the bold-faced cast, a key component of a showrunner’s job.
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