"Landman" provides the fuel in Paramount+'s newest drama

November 19, 2024

Courtesy: Paramount+

Move over Yellowstone. Landman is the newest drama from the prolific Taylor Sheridan. The series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17 with two episodes. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm, the 10-episode series will release a new episode every Sunday through its season finale on January 12, 2025.

Coming off the heels of the superb season of Tulsa King, Landman debuted just in time to whet our appetites for yet another series penned by the Academy award-nominated Taylor (and Christian Wallace), best known for some of Paramount+'s best series: 1923, 1883, Lioness, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs. Based on Chris Wallace's podcast "Boomtown", the series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it's reshaping our climate, our economy, and our geopolitics.

Created and executive produced by Sheridan, the series is also executive produced by David C. Glasser, ​David Hutkin, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari​, Christian Wallace, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Friedman, and Stephen Kay. Dan Friedkin and Jason Hoch for Imperative Entertainment, and J.K. Nickell and Megan Creydt for Texas Monthly. Peter Feldman serves as co-executive producer with Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Courtesy: Paramount+

The series stars:

• Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris

• Ali Larter as Angela Norrisr

• Jacob Lofland as Cooper Norris

• Michelle Randolph as Ainsley Norris

• Paulina Chavez as Ariana

• Kayla Wallace as Rebecca Falcone

• Mark Collie as Sheriff Walt Joeberg

• James Jordan as Dale Bradley

• Demi Moore as Cami Miller

• Jon Hamm as Monty Miller

• Colm Feore as Nathan Guest

• Michael Peña as Armando

• Emilio Rivera as Luis Medina

• Alex Meraz as Jimenez

• Robyn Lively as Ellie

• Bart Johnson as Patrick Ramsey

• Andy García as Galino

• Octavio Rodriguez as Antonio

• J.R. Villarreal as Manuel

• J.J Thompson as Jiminez Crew

Courtesy: Paramount+

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Landman is no exception. The series boasts an impressive star-studded cast, with Thornton, Moore, and Hamm leading this high-octave, high-testosterone, action-packed series. In case we needed reminding, Thornton's voiceover in the trailer reminds us that the oil and gas industry makes 3 billion dollars a day in profit. That tidbit immediately sets the tone that the stakes are high for everyone involved, from the billionaires at the top to those who ensure that the top stays wealthy, the executives, the "fixers," the hard-working crew members, and their respective families are all interconnected.

Thornton shines as the crisis executive who works for the Texan oil company M-Tex Oil, owned by Hamm's Miller. His job is extremely stressful, and that's putting it lightly. Mexican drug cartels, anyone? If he's not procuring leases to drill on land where his company has mineral rights, he's managing his workmen crew and problem-solving one disaster after another. The dynamics from his personal life offer another side of Norris where the antics of his kids and ex-wife make his life even more colorful.

Thornton brilliantly plays Norris as the hardened, white-collar, brutally honest, "tell it like it is" jaded old soul. His performance, Taylor's creative storylines, and the highly talented ensemble cast make the show worth watching.

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The first two episodes of Landman are currently streaming on Paramount+.

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