All You Need to Know: Updated Oil-Soaked Texas Tale (Aug 2024)

Taylor Sheridan is not one to rest on his laurels when it comes to creating compelling television. He’s planning to launch a new series, adding to his already impressive slate at Paramount. Following the conclusion of “Yellowstone” this fall, without Kevin Costner, and the return of “Tulsa King” for a second season led by Sylvester Stallone, Sheridan is preparing to introduce “Landman,” a new Texas-set drama.

“Landman” delves into the lives of the oil-industry roughnecks and the businessmen who maneuver around them. The series recently wrapped filming this past spring and is currently in post-production, slated for a relatively soon debut compared to other Sheridan projects like “6666.” Let’s unpack what we can expect from this star-studded drama.

Sheridan has pulled together a notable ensemble for this series. Leading the cast is Billy Bob Thornton, no stranger to Sheridan projects as he previously appeared in “1883.” Thornton will play Tommy Norris, an oil company crisis manager, offering an intriguing portrait of both his professional and private life. Norris’s ex-wife is played by Ali Larter, and their two twenty-something children, portrayed by Michelle Randolph and Jacob Lofland, add depth to the family dynamic, with one of them getting a hands-on experience in the oil fields.

Joining the cast as Monty Miller, a titan in the oil industry, is Jon Hamm. Demi Moore portrays his wife, Cami, providing a powerhouse duo. Adding to the mix is Michael Peña, cast as Armando Medina, a seasoned oil field worker. Other cast members include Andy Garcia, Paulina Chávez, Kayla Wallace, Mark Collie, and James Jordan, with the series leveraging local Texas extras to enhance its authenticity.

“Landman” is distinct from Sheridan’s “Tulsa King,” set in the former “oil capital of the world,” shifting the focus to Texas. This new series will explore the lives of oil speculators and “landmen,” those who acquire mineral and land rights in hopes of striking oil. The show promises a behind-the-scenes look at the billionaires who dominate the industry and the harsh realities of the oil fields.

Thornton has pointed out the physical challenges of filming in such brutal conditions, remarking on the intense heat and tough terrain. He recalls the punishing days on set where temperatures soared, making the shoot particularly grueling. Despite these hardships, the authenticity of the setting is expected to bring an added layer of realism to the show.

Demi Moore, on the other hand, highlighted the complex roles that women play in the series. She appreciates how Sheridan writes dynamic and multifaceted female characters who hold significant power in the industry. Moore’s character, Cami, stands out as a formidable presence, matching the strength and influence of her on-screen husband, portrayed by Jon Hamm.

The plot of “Landman” draws from the podcast “Boomtown,” providing an upstairs/downstairs narrative of roughnecks and affluent billionaires in the West Texas oil boomtowns. These tales of fortune-seeking and the resulting socio-economic and geopolitical impacts form the backbone of the series, promising a modern-day recounting of the oil industry’s vast and often volatile landscape.

You can look forward to the premiere of “Landman” on November 17, exclusively on Paramount+. Fans eagerly awaiting a glimpse of the show should keep an eye out for a teaser trailer, which, although not yet released, is anticipated to drop soon.

Source: Vanity Fair, Twitter