As the stars of "Landman" shine brighter with each passing day, they're now opening up about Taylor Sheridan's upcoming departure from the show. Last month, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the co-creator and writer would be leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal, with a film deal set to commence next year. However, his TV deal with Paramount won't kick off until the end of 2028, after which he'll embark on this new journey at NBCUniversal.
While premiering the second season of the hit Paramount+ series "Landman," Billy Bob Thornton, who plays oil crisis manager Tommy Norris, shared his thoughts on Sheridan's move. "I think the shows that are at Paramount will stay at Paramount," Thornton told THR on the red carpet. "His deal is for the future, and who knows what that holds? Taylor is a brilliant guy, and I'm sure wherever he goes, whatever he does will be successful. At least I know it'll be real."
Sam Elliot, the newcomer for this season playing T.L. and Tommy's (Thornton) father, offered a similar take. "It won't impact the future of this series because everything that Taylor had at Paramount will stay at Paramount," Elliot told THR. "The Universal thing is a whole new deal, so it's just great for Taylor's world. I think it's fantastic."
When "Landman" season one premiered in November of last year, it drew 5.2 million viewers, the top Paramount+ series debut in two years. Thornton went on to describe how he "absolutely" felt pressure to have the second season live up to its predecessor. "Anytime you have a success and it's going to continue, there's always pressure to make sure that it continues," he told THR. "So, we felt it, but once you start, you just have to forget that and go out there and do your job."
Michelle Randolph, Thornton's TV daughter who plays Ainsley Norris, thinks "Landman" won't be stopping anytime soon. "There are so many stories to tell," she said to THR. "There are so many distinct characters; I feel like we could go on and on because what I always have to remind myself is that the first season was only 10 days in the show. So I'm like, we could film the show for so long because it's not like it's one season taking place over a year or anything." Randolph also described what it was like to welcome Demi Moore back to the ensemble with a larger role. "I love working with Demi," she said. "And also, Pilaf was on set, her cute little dog. Horoscope-wise, it was the luckiest day of the year, everyone kept telling me, and I was on set with Demi, Sam Elliott, Andy Garcia, Billy Bob, Ali Larter – I just had to pinch myself."
"Landman" season two premieres on Paramount+ November 16th, and with every episode that airs, it feels like a new chapter in this intriguing series is being written.
