Dutton Ranch is heading into its second season with new leadership. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Benjamin Cavell (SEAL Team, Justified) has been tapped as the new showrunner for Paramount+’s hit Yellowstone spinoff.

Cavell takes over from Chad Feehan (Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Ray Donovan), who stepped down from the role in June. The change comes shortly after Paramount+ officially renewed Dutton Ranch for a second season following a successful debut.

The series has quickly become one of Paramount+’s biggest original hits. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Dutton Ranch delivered the largest original series launch in the platform’s history, while its premiere on Paramount Network marked the strongest debut for a basic cable series in three years.

The leadership change follows months of behind-the-scenes discussion surrounding the series. mxdwn previously covered comments from producer Christina Alexandra Voros (Yellowstone, 1883) after reports that creator Chad Feehan had exited the show following disagreements with executive producer Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Landman).

In that interview, Voros acknowledged Feehan’s contributions to building the series while emphasizing the production’s collaborative nature and the team’s focus on moving forward. Stars Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone, Sherlock Holmes) and Cole Hauser (Yellowstone, Good Will Hunting), who reprise their roles from Yellowstone, also addressed the change during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Hauser said, “Showrunners change all the time. This business is about adapting. We’ve been doing this for a long time. Things change. People move on.” Reilly echoed those sentiments, praising Feehan’s work on the first season. “We finished this season together. It was a really difficult but really satisfying show to make,” she said, adding that collaboration has always been an important part of the creative process.

Cavell brings extensive television experience to the series. In addition to creating The Institute and SEAL Team, he co-created Paramount+’s adaptation of The Stand and spent six seasons working on Justified, eventually serving as an executive producer.

With its first season finale arriving Friday and a new showrunner now in place, Dutton Ranch appears well-positioned to build on its early success as one of Paramount+’s flagship dramas.