As Cole Hauser prepares to continue his work on screen as Rip Wheeler in Season 2 of Dutton Ranch, he’s also pursuing other big projects that he can be involved with both in front of and behind the camera. In fact, he seems to be taking a page out of Taylor Sheridan’s playbook as he sets his sights on a book-to-screen adaptation of Code Name: Pale Horse. Now, while Hauser will still be acting, and that includes in this new project, like Sheridan, he’s clearly making moves to do more work behind the scenes. According to Deadline, the Rip actor, his American Outlaw Entertainment and Constantin Film will be taking on this adaptation of Pale Horse, which is based on a memoir by Scott Payne and Michelle Shephard about Payne’s time “embedded deep within the country’s most violent subcultures.” It will be written by Hauser’s producing partner Randall Batinkoff. Payne spent 28 years as an FBI undercover agent, and his book tells stories about his time infiltrating the neo-Nazi white supremacist group, The Base. It also details Operation Roadkill, which was a two-year assignment involving the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Massachusetts. Hauser called him a “real-life hero” and explained why he was drawn to this project: These are the type of stories that I am drawn to as a producer and as an actor. Scott Payne is a real-life hero, with the kind of moxie and edge you would need to risk your life to fight evil. I am looking forward to producing this movie and getting a chance to bring him and his story to life on the screen.Now, this is the first time Hauser has been cited as a producer; however, he has been an executive producer before. He’s listed as an EP on Dutton Ranch, 2022’s Panama and 2014’s Bad Country. Overall, Pale Horse serves as a big next step for him, as it’s said that this project could be a “potential starring vehicle” for him. The reason I’m invoking Taylor Sheridan's name amid all this is twofold. For one, it shows a big step Hauser is taking to be more involved in his projects. Ever since Sheridan stepped away from acting full-time, he has put himself in positions to have a lot of say in his projects, from the Yellowstone shows (though not as much these days) to shows like Lioness and Landman. Secondly, while Sheridan loves his cowboys, he also has a tendency to gravitate toward stories about operatives, agents and espionage. Just look at his movies, like Sicario, and his shows, like Lioness, and you’ll see what I mean. Clearly, like his Yellowstone boss, Hauser is a fan of both cowboys and agents. Now, at the time of this writing, there isn’t much information on when we might see Pale Horse. However, it’s very clear that Hauser is looking forward to working on it. Along with that project, he’s also notably working on a new season of Dutton Ranch. While the first season of the Yellowstone sequel series came with its challenges, he’s looking forward to playing Rip again. So, while we wait for all that to happen, you can see Cole Hauser play Rip Wheeler, a character Taylor Sheridan is responsible for, by streaming Dutton Ranch with a Paramount+ subscription.