Billy Bob Thornton had a lot of confidence that Landman would land with middle America… but he never imagined that it would connect with fans all across the world.
The oil drama is the hit Paramount+ show that no one saw coming. Ever since its premiere in late 2024, Landman has been one of the biggest shows on television. The cast – consisting of Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Ali Larter, and Andy Garcia, among others – definitely contributes to that success. But many enjoy that Taylor Sheridan has used the show to pull back the curtain on the oil industry for the very first time.
Not only that, but Sheridan has utilized the series to make some strong statements against certain things in the world, like the clean energy industry, or The View. You’d think that kind of commentary would push people away, but somehow, Landman connects with people regardless of their political beliefs.
When Billy Bob Thornton and other cast members like Sam Elliott participated in a panel discussion last weekend, the actor who plays Tommy Norris in the show said that he was very surprised that those on the coasts (who typically lean more liberal) enjoy the show:
“We didn’t think the coasts would go for it. We certainly didn’t think it would become this huge international hit. I think the variety on it appeals to people.”
I suppose that “variety” is true. Naturally, Taylor Sheridan is going to funnel some of his own opinions through characters when he’s writing the scripts. He might not be trying to push any sort of political agenda, but if he’s uncovered something interesting and wants others to know about it, Sheridan has a platform to do just that.
Landman has a little bit of something for everyone – family, drama, romance, action – so it makes sense that a wide variety of people enjoy it. Sam Elliott, who plays T.L. Norris (Tommy Norris’ father) in the show, has a guess as to why the audience eats up the Taylor Sheridan show:
“People that you want to be around, people you love, people that are decent to each other. Today, more than any time, that’s what we’re all craving.”
The mustachioed Sam Elliott might be on to something with that.
Landman fans are certainly excited for when the third season rolls around. It’s been reported that the cast and crew would start filming in May (Elliot is actually the one who revealed that). And if that shooting schedule is true (and from everything I’ve seen, it is), then that would mean that Landman Season 3 would be following close to the same timeline as Season 2.
Landman’s second season started shooting in April of 2025, and was ready to go for a Paramount+ premiere in November. Taylor Sheridan has always been the type that likes to keep his shows on tight, every-year release schedule, so fans should probably expect the same for Season 3. Even with his other shows like Tulsa King and Mayor Of Kingstown, the general rhythm has been film in the spring, premiere in the fall.
Regardless of when the third season premieres, people all across the world (not just middle America) will be ready when Landman returns.
