The news about Dutton Ranch losing its showrunner in a surprise shakeup has finally been addressed.
Executive producer Christina Voros broke her silence about Chad Feehan‘s reported firing, telling ScreenRant earlier this month that the screenwriter did “an exceptional job building a world of adversaries for Rip and Beth” in the Yellowstone spinoff.
Voros noted that when it came to “dynamics behind his departure,” she didn’t have much to add. She went on to say that Dutton Ranch had at that point not “come out into the world yet” so a future without Feehan was “beyond” her knowledge on the subject.
The director expressed gratitude to Feehan and his team for “creating a world for these characters to move into.”
News originally broke in April that Feehan will not return as showrunner after completing work on season 1. Feehan, who created Lawmen: Bass Reeves with Taylor Sheridan, reportedly departed Dutton Ranch after alleged friction with series stars Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, among others.
Sheridan and his producing partner David Glasser, along with the two leads, were allegedly more unhappy with how Feehan ran the production than with the scripts. None of the cast has yet to publicly address the producer’s exit.
Yellowstone, which premiered in 2018, introduced viewers to the fictional Dutton family, who own the largest ranch in Montana. Rip (Hauser) and Beth (Reilly) quickly became a fan-favorite couple as they navigated major ups and downs together.
Since Yellowstone came to an end in 2024, the TV universe expanded with Luke Grimes‘ CBS show Marshals and more. Dutton Ranch, meanwhile, follows Rip and Beth — as well as Finn Little‘s Carter — adjust to life in Texas after their time in Montana.
Annette Bening and Ed Harris are also featured on the show alongside other newcomers such as Jai Courtney, Natalie Alyn Lind, Marc Menchaca, Juan Pablo Raba and J. R. Villarreal.
“As Beth and Rip fight to build a future together — far from the ghosts of Yellowstone — they collide with brutal new realities and a ruthless rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire,” read the show’s synopsis. “In South Texas, blood runs deeper, forgiveness is fleeting, and the cost of survival might just be your soul.”
Sheridan, meanwhile, has been focused on his other shows, including Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness and Tulsa King. News broke in October 2025 that Sheridan closed a major with NBCUniversal. The five-year overall deal for film, TV and streaming will begin January 1, 2029, after Sheridan’s TV deal with Paramount — which goes through 2028 — officially ends.
Paramount will retain the rights to Yellowstone and the other franchises Sheridan created under his deal with the company, so he is expected to create brand new IP for NBCUniversal. Sheridan’s move came after Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance.
Dutton Ranch airs Fridays on Paramount+.
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