Ed Harris to Return in 'Dutton Ranch' Season 2 After Behind-the-Scenes Crisis

Ed Harris is confirmed to return for the second season of Dutton Ranch. The actor agreed to come back even after dealing with behind-the-scenes conflicts during filming on the first season.

Harris did not have a good experience on the first season, to the point of considering leaving the series, the Oscar-nominated actor said in an interview with Variety on the red carpet for the premiere of his upcoming Apple TV film, The Dink.

“Midway through this first season, I was saying, ‘Get me the f--k out of here'. I didn't feel I was being used... I felt a little bit misled”, Harris said. “Prior to signing on, I was told quite a bit about what the season was, what my character was going to do, and that I was one of the four main characters. That wasn't really the case.”

Harris said he voiced his concerns to the bosses: “I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential', and they went 'Oh'. I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth.”

He may have felt that his complaints were not heard, but they were taken into consideration. According to sources cited by Deadline, the recent leadership change on Dutton Ranch — with creator Chad Feehan, who served as the first season’s showrunner, departing even before the series premiered — was strongly tied to how Harris’s character, Everett McKinney, was being used (or rather, underused).

It is said that Harris took part in choosing Feehan’s replacement: Benjamin Cavell, creator of S.W.A.T., who was named showrunner last month. The star’s concerns are being addressed, and Everett is believed to have a prominent role in the show’s second season — currently in the writing stage —, with Harris being kept informed throughout the entire process.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Harris’s involvement in the second season is already confirmed, with production set to begin on January 15. As he himself has already confirmed, Harris has a two-year contract for Dutton Ranch — a deal that reportedly includes an option for a third season.

Harris made a distinction between the experience of filming the first season and the final product. “When I watched the season — and it’s fine, I thought it was pretty good”, he said. “I felt good about what I did in it, and it seemed like I was relatively important to the story; but the doing of it, it didn't feel that way". 

Everything you need to know about Dutton Ranch

Set in Rio Paloma, Texas, the production follows Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in a new chapter of their lives, alongside Oscar nominees Ed Harris and Annette Bening. 

As Beth and Rip struggle to build a future together, far from the ghosts of Yellowstone, they come up against new realities and a ruthless rival ranch willing to do anything to protect its own empire. In South Texas, blood runs deeper, forgiveness is rare, and the price of survival may be one’s very soul. 

Rounding out the cast, the new original production brings together Finn Little, Juan Pablo Raba, Jai Courtney, J.R. Villarreal, Marc Menchaca and Natalie Alyn Lind.

The first season of Dutton Ranch is available on Paramount+. All the other series in the Yellowstone franchise are also available on the platform.