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Everyone Missed Dutton Ranch’s Connection To This 94% RT $370 Million Grossing Horror Movie Phenomenon

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Everyone Missed Dutton Ranch’s Connection To This 94% RT $370 Million Grossing Horror Movie Phenomenon

Warning: SPOILERS For Dutton Ranch & Obsession One actor in Dutton Ranch is having a spectacular 2026, appearing not only in Paramount+’s biggest original series, but also in Obsession, the...

Maria Nushi
June 29, 2026 8 Mins Read
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Warning: SPOILERS For Dutton Ranch & Obsession

One actor in Dutton Ranch is having a spectacular 2026, appearing not only in Paramount+’s biggest original series, but also in Obsession, the horror movie phenomenon rated 94% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes that has also grossed over $370-million at the worldwide box office from a $750,000 budget.

Renewed for season 2, Dutton Ranch breathed new life into Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise. Dutton Ranch transplanted Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) to the fictional South Texas town of Rio Paloma. Hoping to be free of their sordid history in Montana, Beth and Rip’s new life comes with new enemies and obstacles.

Concurrent with Dutton Ranch‘s streaming success on Paramount+, Obsession became one of the biggest movies of 2026. Director Curry Barker’s low-budget psychological horror flick has played to packed houses worldwide for weeks. Obsession has even outgrossed franchises like Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu at the box office.

Remarkably, actor Cooper Tomlinson bridges Dutton Ranch and Obsession.

Obsession’s Cooper Tomlinson Plays A Sheriff’s Deputy In Dutton Ranch

Obsession cast playing Jenga

Cooper Tomlinson appeared in Dutton Ranch‘s series premiere as Deputy Cecil Post. In his pivotal scene, Deputy Post prevents Beth Dutton from driving through a closed road due to an injured horse. Post and Dutton have a brief but memorable interaction, but Tomlinson’s scene sets up the friendship between Beth and kindly veterinarian Everett McKinney (Ed Harris).

Dutton Ranch‘s series premiere also featured Jessica Belkin as Cassie. Belkin will next appear in the Legally Blonde prequel Elle and in Fox’s reboot of Baywatch.

Tomlinson returned as Deputy Post in Dutton Ranch episode 5. Post took part in a raid on Dwight White’s (Ray McKinnon) ranch that led to Dwight being killed by Sheriff Handy Wade (Josh Stewart). This scene isn’t quite the same spotlight for Cooper’s Dutton Ranch character, but it’s the kind of action sequence that Tomlinson doesn’t get to play in Obsession.

On his Instagram, Cooper Tomlinson wrote, “Had the pleasure of appearing in @duttonranch this week too! The Yellowstone universe is one of my favorites so getting to work with Kelly Reilly and the Dutton Crew was very special.”

Tomlinson also described working on Dutton Ranch to THR: “On set, it was 105 degrees in the middle of a Fort Worth summer. Everyone was dying, and I was in full cop gear. But I had one of the best days ever getting to work with Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton. So I hope there’s more down the line with that. We’ll see.”

Will Cooper Tomlinson Return In Dutton Ranch Season 2?

Connor Tomlinson as Deputy in Dutton Ranch

Dutton Ranch‘s season 2 renewal was only recently announced by Paramount+, and Taylor Sheridan has to name the new showrunner for his hit Yellowstone spinoff, following the dismissal of series creator and season 1 showrunner Chad Feehan. As Dutton Ranch season 2 creatively takes shape, Cooper Tomlinson may be tapped to reprise Deputy Cecil Post.










































The Sheridan-verse · Ranch Assessment

Taylor Sheridan

Trivia Challenge

🏠
Yellowstone
Protect the ranch

🐴
1883
The Oregon Trail

🌾
1923
Drought & dust

🔒
Kingstown
Prison politics

🎼
Tulsa King
Made man, new town

01

The Dutton family has controlled the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States for over a century. In which state is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch located?




✓ Correct! The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sits near the border of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show is filmed primarily in Montana, with the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby serving as the Dutton homestead.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Montana. The Dutton Ranch borders Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky Country. While the rugged landscape could pass for Wyoming or Idaho, the show is set — and largely filmed — in Montana.

02

John Dutton is the iron-willed patriarch who will stop at nothing to protect his family’s land. Which Oscar-winning actor portrayed him for the first four seasons of Yellowstone?




✓ Correct! Kevin Costner brought gravitas and quiet intensity to John Dutton, anchoring Yellowstone as one of the most-watched shows on cable television. His departure ahead of Season 5B became one of the biggest stories in TV.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Kevin Costner. While Sam Elliott did appear in 1883, Josh Brolin has his own Sheridan series (Outer Range isn’t Sheridan’s), and Kurt Russell hasn’t joined the Sheridan-verse. Costner defined John Dutton.

03

In the prequel series 1883, a Civil War veteran leads his family on a brutal wagon-train journey from Texas to Montana to find a new home. What is the name of this original Dutton patriarch?




✓ Correct! James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw, is the Civil War veteran who leads his wife Margaret and their children on the perilous journey west. His daughter Elsa narrates the series, and the family’s arrival in Montana establishes the Yellowstone Ranch.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is James Dutton. Jacob Dutton is the character Harrison Ford plays in 1923 — James’s brother. John Dutton Sr. doesn’t appear until later generations, and Emmett Dutton doesn’t exist in the Sheridan-verse.

04

On the Dutton Ranch, certain cowboys receive a permanent mark of loyalty — a hot-iron brand seared into their skin that signifies a blood oath to the ranch. What symbol is this feared brand?




✓ Correct! The branded “Y” is the Yellowstone Ranch’s livestock mark, but for ranch hands, wearing it on their chest means a lifelong oath of silence and loyalty. “Taking someone to the train station” is what happens to those who betray it.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the letter “Y” — for Yellowstone. The brand is both a ranch identifier and a mark of absolute loyalty. Characters like Rip, Kayce, and Jimmy all bear the “Y” brand, signifying they’ve sworn their lives to the ranch.

05

In 1923, the Dutton family battles drought, Prohibition, and encroaching modernity during the Great Depression era. Which legendary Hollywood actor plays patriarch Jacob Dutton?




✓ Correct! Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton alongside Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. Ford’s casting marked his first major television role and brought massive star power to the expanding Sheridan-verse. The series is set during Prohibition and the early Depression.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Harrison Ford. In his first major TV role, Ford plays Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton from 1883. Helen Mirren stars opposite him as Cara Dutton. Their star power helped make 1923 Paramount+’s biggest premiere.

06

Beth Dutton’s volatile love story with a tough ranch foreman is one of Yellowstone’s most beloved storylines. The two eventually marry in a surprise ceremony. Who is Beth’s husband?




✓ Correct! Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, is John Dutton’s most loyal enforcer and Beth’s husband. Taken in by John as a teenager after a traumatic past, Rip would do anything for the Dutton family — and his fierce devotion to Beth became a fan-favorite romance.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Rip Wheeler. Lloyd Pierce is the bunkhouse elder, Walker is a ranch hand and musician, and Jimmy Hurdstrom is the hapless cowboy who eventually gets sent to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Only Rip won Beth’s wild heart.

07

In Mayor of Kingstown, a family serves as power brokers in a Michigan town where the prison industry is the only business. Which family navigates this dark world of incarceration and corruption?




✓ Correct! The McLusky family, led by Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), acts as unofficial mediators between prisoners, gangs, police, and politicians in Kingstown, Michigan. The show is one of Sheridan’s grittiest explorations of the American justice system.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the McLusky family. Jeremy Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who inherits the role of “mayor” — an unofficial power broker between inmates, gangs, and law enforcement. The Duttons are Yellowstone’s dynasty, not Kingstown’s.

08

One Dutton sibling is an adopted son and ambitious lawyer who frequently clashes with his family — sometimes even conspiring against them. His complex loyalty drives much of the show’s drama. Who is he?




✓ Correct! Jamie Dutton, played by Wes Bentley, is the adopted son and Harvard-educated lawyer whose desperate need for his father’s approval and political ambition create some of Yellowstone’s most dramatic betrayals. His rivalry with Beth is legendary.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Jamie Dutton. Kayce is John’s biological youngest son (a former Navy SEAL), Lee is the eldest son who dies in Season 1, and Tate is Kayce’s young son. Only Jamie is the adopted lawyer who conspires against the family.

Round-Up Complete
Your Ranch Record



/ 8

Are you a ranch foreman — or headed straight to the train station?

In Dutton Ranch episode 8, Beth and Rip’s prodigal adopted son, Carter (Finn Little), asked Sheriff Wade for a job. This hints at a possible new vocation for Carter in Dutton Ranch season 2. If Carter does pursue a sheriff’s deputy badge, it might create interactions between Carter and Deputy Post, allowing Finn Little and Cooper Tomlinson to share scenes.

Cooper Tomlinson was a YouTuber who co-created the sketch comedy “that’s a bad idea” with Curry Barker before they collaborated on Obsession. Tomlinson plays Ian, the best friend of Bear (Michael Johnston), who uses magic to force Nikki (Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him, in Obsession. Tomlinson and Barker’s next project together is the feature film Anything But Ghosts.

Between Dutton Ranch and Obsession, Cooper Tomlinson has tapped into the zeitgeist of TV and movies simultaneously, with more to come from the talented actor, writer, and comedian.


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Release Date

May 15, 2026

Network

Paramount Network, Paramount+

Showrunner

Chad Feehan

Directors

Christina Alexandra Voros

Writers

Jacob Forman, Hilary Bettis, Chad Feehan, Hayley Tibbenham, J. Todd Scott, K.C. Scott




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