The future of Landman is on everyone's mind, especially with the news of Taylor Sheridan's departure from Paramount. But what does this mean for the hit series?
It was recently reported by The Hollywood Reporter that Taylor Sheridan, the co-creator and writer behind Landman, is leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal. He's set to begin a film deal with NBCUniversal next year. However, his TV deal with Paramount extends until the end of 2028. After that, he will move to NBCUniversal.
During the premiere of Landman's second season on Paramount+, the show's stars shared their thoughts on Sheridan's move. Billy Bob Thornton, who plays oil crisis manager Tommy Norris, offered reassurance. "I think the shows that are at Paramount, stay at Paramount, so I don’t think those are affected," he told THR. "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 is, gonna be successful, at least I know it’ll be real.”
Sam Elliott, who joins the cast this season as T.L., Tommy's father, echoed Thornton's sentiments. "It’s not gonna impact the future of this series because everything that Taylor had at Paramount is gonna stay at Paramount. It’s not like he’s taking it there," Elliott stated. "The Universal thing, as I understand, it’s a whole new deal, so it’s just great for Taylor’s world. I think it’s fantastic.”
Landman made a splash when its first season premiered last November, drawing a massive 5.2 million viewers. This made it the top debut for a Paramount+ series in two years, only surpassed by Sheridan's Yellowstone prequel, 1923, which garnered 7.4 million viewers across various platforms in December 2022.
Thornton also discussed the pressure to maintain the show's success. "Anytime you have a success and it’s gonna continue, there’s always pressure to make sure that it continues," he explained. "If you’re making movies you do a sequel, always pressure. So, we felt it, but once you start, you just have to forget that and go out there and do your job.”
Michelle Randolph, who plays Ainsley Norris, is optimistic about Landman's future. "There’s so many stories to tell. There’s so many really distinct characters, I feel like we could go on and on and on because what I always have to remind myself — the first season was 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," she noted. "There’s so much room for growth in every single character; they’re all deeply flawed in their own ways, which is what makes them really enticing to watch because it’s very human.”
Randolph also shared her excitement about welcoming Demi Moore back to the cast with a more prominent role. "I love working with Demi. And also, Pilaf was on set, her cute little dog," she said. "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 is set to premiere on Paramount+ on November 16th.
So, what do you think? Will Landman continue to thrive without Sheridan's full focus? Do you agree with the actors' assessment of the situation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
