If you’re a big fan of the Taylor Sheridan universe — he created Yellowstone and its prequels 1883 and 1923, along with Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness and more — you’re gonna froth his newest show, Landman.
Not only is the cast absolutely STACKED, the premise is suuuuper intriguing. It’s about the high-stakes oil industry in West Texas, where oil riggers can end up paying dearly… with their lives. It’s worth it for some, though, as they can become richer than their wildest dreams.
The cast is led by Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter, along with Demi Moore and Jon Hamm himself. Thornton plays anti-hero Tommy Norris, a man who’s just gone bust in the oil industry. He’s gotta figure out how to get back on his feet, while watching buddy Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) roll around in all his oil-rigger wealth.
Larter, who plays Thornton’s ex-wife Angela Norris, also warns that viewers will see a glimpse into “the dangerous world of the cartel”. “There’s so much going on and it doesn’t slow down for a minute,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “The show just keeps on moving and pushing through all these different worlds.”
I am on the edge of my seat ALREADY! Here’s everything we know about Landman so far:
When will Landman be released in Australia?
The first two episodes of Landman will premiere on Paramount+ in Australia on Monday 18 November, with new episodes being dropped weekly on Mondays. There are 10 episodes in total, so there’s lots to look forward to!
What’s the plot of Landman?
In the newest Landman trailer, Thornton’s character declares that “Men die, oil companies don’t”, so you just know this is gonna be a wild ride.
The official synopsis reads: “An upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires that are fuelling a boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics”.
What do we know about Taylor Sheridan’s vision for Landman?
The show is inspired by Christian Wallace’s podcast Boomtown, which was about the dangerous story of the 21st-century oil boom in Texas which took place in the Permian Basin. Wallace actually worked for a year as a roughneck on drilling rigs, so he has firsthand experience on the oilfields.
When Wallace, who’s also a co-creator and executive producer of Landman, was approached about turning his podcast into a TV show, he thought of Sheridan immediately.
“I reached out to Taylor because I knew that out of everyone working in that space, Taylor’s voice is the most authentic to the American West. A lot of our ideas about how to tell stories about this place really align,” Wallace told EW.
“Taylor had a lot of his own ideas coming into it and already had some characters and things he wanted to do. So we just combined some elements of the podcast with a story and the family that he already had in mind and it worked out really, really well.”
Jon Hamm told People earlier this year that the show definitely has the Yellowstone creator’s stamp on it. “There’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of intrigue and things like that. It’s Taylor Sheridan and obviously it’s very well written. It’s very well researched,” Hamm said.
“It’s a tremendous cast and it’s been super fun to work on. And obviously, Taylor Sheridan’s in charge of everything, so it’s a great project. It’s a good story. People are going to enjoy it.”
Who is in the Landman cast?
Billy Bob Thornton plays the lead role of Tommy Norris, but there are quite a few big names you’ll recognise in the mix. Along with Ali Larter as his ex-wife Angela Norris, the other cast members include Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, Michelle Randolph, Jacob Lofland, Kayla Wallace, James Jordan, Mark Collie, Paulina Chavez, Andy García, Michael Peña, J.R. Villarreal and J.J Thompson.
What has Billy Bob Thornton said about Landman?
The actors were placed in a three-day boot camp on a real oil rig to acclimatise the cast to the heat and machinery. Thornton told EW that shooting was tough, because there were “long days” in extreme humidity and heat.
In another interview with Vanity Fair, Thornton described the shoot as “probably the hardest thing [he’s] ever [done]”.
“There were days when I thought, not only me, but everybody in the crew was going to pass out. It was so hot some days, and we’re shooting out at these oil pumpjacks…. Jesus Christ, I’m in my 60s! This just sucks. My god, there were days when it was pretty hard,” Thornton declared.
Is there a Landman trailer?
Yes, there are actually TWO trailers! Oooooooh!! They’re getting me so pumped for this slick oil drama, and you can watch them below.
Landman trailer one:
Landman trailer two:
Landman premieres only on Paramount+ on Monday 18 November, 2024.
Lead image: Paramount+ Australia
