Landman Season 2: Big Stars Join and Billy Bob Thornton Shares Some Thoughts About Script Delays

Landman quickly became one of Taylor Sheridan's big wins. Its first season on Paramount+ did incredibly well, breaking viewing records. Even Stephen King, who often has strong opinions about TV, seemed to like it a little. The show's big viewing numbers and good reviews made a second season of the oil drama an obvious choice. It's coming. However, a recent comment from one of the main actors, Billy Bob Thornton, suggests things behind the scenes might not be totally smooth.

In a recent chat with Gold Derby, Thornton, who plays the Texas oil executive Tommy Norris, mentioned that the actors don't know everything about Landman season 2 yet. He still sounded positive about the show's next steps, even when sharing news that might make some people wonder. He said directly:

"Last year, we had every episode when we started. We do not this year. We've only seen about half of it. I can tell you this much. I'm loving this season. The relationships are really growing and gelling — not only as actors, but with the characters."

This statement makes me wonder if Sheridan and co-creator Christian Wallace started Landman season 2 without a firm story plan fully written out. That could happen. Sheridan has a lot of shows going on right now, and he might be taking on too much. It's also possible he and Wallace are just keeping plot details quiet. Fans might want to hold off on worrying until we hear more.

Billy Bob Thornton's Surprising Update About Landman Season 2 Scripts Raises Questions

Could This Mean Taylor Sheridan Is Changing His Usual Way Of Working On His Shows?

Taylor Sheridan is known for writing all of his shows completely before filming starts. He often works alone in Wyoming. He does not use a writers' room to shape his creative ideas. In the past, he's cranked out scripts in a day and sent them straight to actors without running them by studios first. This shows he has a lot of say over his projects. However, the Landman season 2 script update sounds a bit different for Sheridan. It seems he isn't sharing all the goods.

"I've just sat down and written all the episodes before we started filming. That way everybody knows what we're doing, all the way through," he told Deadline when talking about the Yellowstone spinoff 1883 in 2021. But Billy Bob Thornton's comments suggest the process for Landman season 2 is the opposite of Sheridan's old method. This could also be on purpose, because of production needs. Actors from Yellowstone have talked about getting blanked-out scripts for season 5 part 2. Sheridan wanted to stop twists and turns from leaking. Maybe he is doing something similar for Landman. The show is a big hit now, and a lot of people are waiting to see what happens next. Either way, it seems the show is not in danger of being canceled. Thornton sounds hopeful the coming episodes will be great.

Sam Elliott Joins The Cast Of Landman Season 2, Adding More Familiar Faces

The Yellowstone Prequel Star Is A Natural Fit For Taylor Sheridan's Oil Drama

Sam Elliott, who starred as Shea Brennan in the Yellowstone prequel 1883, is joining another Taylor Sheridan show. After his great run in 1883, Elliott will appear as a regular in Landman season 2. We don't have many details about his role yet. ScreenRant wondered if Elliott could play M-Tex Oil’s new landman and problem solver. Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) had that job in season 1. After M-Tex CEO Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) passed away, Tommy got a promotion.

Production for Landman season 2 is already happening. Elliott has been seen on set. Over Memorial Day weekend, Ali Larter, who plays Tommy’s ex-wife Angela Norris, shared a nice Instagram picture of herself, Elliott, and Michelle Randolph. Randolph plays Angela and Tommy’s daughter Ainsley. "Just three crows cackling," Larter wrote with the photo of the three hugging. She added a heart emoji. Elliott's past roles in Westerns make him a natural choice for Landman. The show takes place in West Texas. It is about the oil industry. He joins returning cast members Thornton, Larter, Randolph, Demi Moore (Cami Miller), Jacob Lofland (Cooper Norris), Paulina Chávez (Ariana Medina), and Kayla Wallace (Rebecca Falcone).

Why Landman Has Drawn So Many Viewers And Kept Them Watching Each Week

The Show's Blend Of Strong Characters And Real-World Issues Keeps People Hooked

With so many TV shows appearing each month, it takes something special to win over audiences and keep them coming back. Landman had one big reason many people started watching: Taylor Sheridan. But many other reasons made viewers return each week to see more of the interesting oil world. Overall, Landman did well by mixing Sheridan's proven storytelling with a fresh, relevant setting, excellent performances, and great visuals. Since Sheridan has been building the Yellowstone universe for a while, people found it refreshing to watch his work in other areas too. Here's more about why Landman has been so popular and why season 2 is likely to bring in even more viewers.

A big reason for the show's success is its main actor, Billy Bob Thornton. He plays Tommy Norris, a complicated, often tired, but honest landman. Thornton taps into the parts of our brains that find characters easy to connect with. Tommy, and Thornton himself, are also sometimes funny without meaning to be. This shows he has a great sense of humor. He is a key reason many people chose to watch Landman; Thornton does not appear on TV often, but he is always a welcome presence.

The rest of the cast also plays a big part. Jon Hamm, Ali Larter, James Jordan, and Demi Moore are some of the bigger names. The show also introduces new faces like Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, and Kayla Wallace, who plays the lawyer Rebecca Falcone. These actors help show the oil business from the viewpoint of people at the very top to those at the bottom of the oil "totem pole." The main cast also has great chemistry, like Larter and Thornton, who play an on-again, off-again couple who cannot seem to stay away from each other.

Landman Gives A Look At The American Oil Industry That Feels Both New And Real

How The Show Balances Industry Details With Deeply Personal Character Journeys

Christian Wallace, who co-created Landman with Taylor Sheridan, wrote the well-known podcast Boomtown, which is all about the oil industry. The show pulled ideas from Wallace's stories. It gives a smart look into the complicated world of land deals, drilling rights, and production. The show is technically correct. It is written in a way that viewers from all walks of life can understand. This is not the first time Sheridan has gone deep into a topic when writing something. For example, he wrote Sicario after learning a lot about law enforcement and drug wars in the US and Mexico.

What really works about Landman is how it shows all the kinds of people who work in oil. This includes the stressed-out CEO of an oil company, Monty Miller (Hamm), down to the roughnecks living paycheck-to-paycheck. These workers get their hands dirty and risk their lives every day for someone else's profit. Visually, the show has a yellowish feel. This is meant to show the heat of the Texas sun and deserts. The drilling rigs look greasy and complicated, and the workers tired. It is not just about oil negotiations, which is what we often think about. It is also about waking up before dawn, getting coffee, and staying at the rig until sunset to make sure things are going well.

Sheridan's way of telling stories is a major reason the show is popular. This includes the things he often does when writing his characters. His usual style includes strong arguments, unexpected plot turns that build up during a season, and complicated characters who are not always good people but still make you think. These elements can be a positive thing in the right amounts. It's easy to see why Landman keeps people watching.

Landman Finds Common Ground In Its Specific Setting

The Show's Focus On Ambition And Family Is Something Everyone Can Connect With

Even though Landman is set in the very specific world of oil buying and making, its main ideas include ambition, give-and-take, family versus job, and community. These are the most important parts of the show. They connect with people everywhere. The characters face hard choices in both their personal and work lives. Viewers often feel a connection to such things because they wonder what they would do in a similar situation. I know my dad likes to tell the characters what they should do with each new episode of the show. It is as if he were an oil expert himself.

It seems, though, that what Landman does best is make blue-collar work feel understandable without making it seem too glamorous. You know when you watch a movie about a barista in a cute café, enjoying the smell of coffee and pastries while working on her novel, and you think, "that would be great?" This show avoids telling you that the smell of coffee gets everywhere, you have to wash dishes, customers are sometimes rude, and you have to wake up really early to open the shop. I know that does not compare to an oil rig worker's job, nor is it the hardest job in the world. But it takes a toll, like everything else. That is why Landman makes sure you will see how oil rigs work, what the workers go through, and what happens when problems arise. We are often not shown the realities of blue-collar work. Because this show does that well, it is popular and works for many audience members.