A new report claims that Yellowstone’s upcoming Beth and Rip spinoff is casting its John Dutton replacement. After several months of incremental updates, it was formally announced in December 2024 that a spinoff focused on the fan-favorite couple of Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler is moving forward, with Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser set to reprise their respective roles. The project hails from franchise creator Taylor Sheridan, with other Yellowstone cast members potentially appearing.
Writing for the What I’m Hearing newsletter at Puck, journalist Matt Belloni reports that the Rip and Beth spinoff is looking for a “Kevin Costner-type” to join Reilly and Hauser. The spinoff, which will begin filming this summer, won’t include Costner himself. Costner’s character, John Dutton, was killed off in Yellowstone season 5 after a public feud with Sheridan that led to his exit from the show. The report also mentions that another spinoff, separate from Beth and Rip, is being developed.
What This Means For Yellowstone’s Beth & Rip Spinoff
Of Course They’d Want Someone Like Costner
There’s not much known about the Beth and Rip spinoff, except that it will continue their story after the events of Yellowstone season 5 and carry the same signatures as the franchise. That last part is essential since the Western drama has favored a commanding actor to front line the story, even if he isn’t always the main focus. That’s been the case with 1923, which has Harrison Ford, and 1883, which has Sam Elliot. In practice, the focus may tilt towards the younger generation of Duttons, albeit a big-name performer tends to be there as a figurehead and a key driving force.
There are no further details about who the “Kevin Costner-type” will end up being. Still, viewers of the Western drama will remember that Beth took her father’s death particularly hard. His absence loomed over the entirety of season 5 since John Dutton’s off-screen death was a way of addressing Costner’s departure. It proved controversial, and his apparent replacement will likely garner a lot of attention.
Our Take On The John Dutton Replacement
It’ll Likely Be Big
Sheridan has been able to attract big names to the projects that he produces. It’s a trend that will likely continue in terms of at least a few big names that join Hauser and Reilly in their Yellowstone off-shoot. The more interesting question may be how Beth reacts to this new character and whether it will be an adversarial relationship. John Dutton’s only daughter, overall, isn’t the quickest to warm up to new people, and that may be even more after Beth has lost her father thanks to a sibling betrayal.