Landman It marks the eighth series created by Taylor Sheridan for Paramount. After leaving his mark with Yellowstone In 2018, Sheridan continued as the mastermind of the reality series The last cowboychronicling the high-stakes and lucrative sport of horse reining. He was quickly pulled into YellowstoneHowever, as audiences around the world become increasingly invested in the Duttons' saga and their quest to save their farm. So Sheridan threw himself into a world Yellowstone For the next few years.
In 2021, Sheridan created Mayor of Kingstown With his assistant Hugh Dillon. This series focuses on the McCluskey family (led by Jeremy Renner's Mike McCloskey) and their struggle to maintain control of a small Michigan town in the face of gang threats and rival politicians. Also in 2021, Sheridan created his first film Yellowstone previous series, 1883which follows an earlier generation of Duttons as they head west with a wagon train of immigrants and eventually arrive in Montana's Paradise Valley. That same year, Sheridan also drove Tulsa King Sylvester Stallone appears as the boss who is forced to move to Kanas and who decides to start his own mob empire there. A second introduction to the Dutton saga, 1923starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, is coming in 2022. Sheridan is now busy completing the Dutton saga with Part 2 of Season 5 of Yellowstone.
Sheridan created endless creativity and curiosity about current geopolitical issues Lioness Set in 2023. The spy drama follows Jo McNamara, played by Zoe Saldaña, as she leads the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team, which infiltrates criminal organizations and carries out dangerous missions with secret female assets. In its second season, Sheridan moved the show's focus from the Middle East to Mexico, exploring the clash of cultures and political agendas on the Mexico-Texas border.
Landmanwhich premieres today on Paramount+, is the latest jewel in Sheridan's creative crown. The oil drama revolves around Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a “land man” whose mission is to use any means necessary to secure the mineral rights of Motex Oil, run by Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), in the Permian Basin, even if it means dealing… With oil. Cartels. His goal is to keep oil operations running smoothly, no matter the cost. “This is like giant “On steroids,” Thornton said during a virtual press day. According to Thornton, Sheridan wrote the role of Norris with him in mind. “It fits like a glove,” Thornton said.
Sheridan's long string of successful performances also factored into Thornton's decision to take the job. Thornton notes that Sheridan is a genius at creating “these worlds that people are really obsessed with.” He also appreciates Sheridan's talent for dialogue. “Sometimes you can read something on the page that's so poetic and beautiful, but when an actor says the words out loud in a scene, it doesn't always work.” Sheridan's script always felt “very natural” to Thornton. Thornton also noted that Sheridan combines “heavy drama and humor” in his writing, which reflects his understanding of life. “Life is full of everything: joy, pain, sadness, and bliss,” Thornton mused. “I'm glad he put that dose of humor in there too.”
Ali Larter, who plays Angela, Tommy's ex-wife, agreed with Thornton. “He's the best at what he does,” Sheridan's Larter said. Larter knows how important “authenticity” is to Sheridan. “He took the dangerous West Texas oil trade and politics and built an amazing world,” Larter noted. But what is key to Sheridan's empire is the “dynamic characters” he creates. Larter's Angela is vibrant, feisty and fierce, but full of love for her ex-husband and their two children, Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph). According to Larter, it is rich characters like Angela that make Sheridan a “brilliant storyteller.”
Kayla Wallace, who plays Rebecca Falcone, a lawyer drawn into Tommy's world, appreciates that Sheridan “really takes time” with his team. “He sat down one-on-one and went through Rebecca's backstory with me,” Wallace recalls. “He's able to shape these characters to make sure they always have a sense of agency. It's an honor to work with him, period.”
As Ariana, the wife of one of Tommy's oil rig workers, Paulina Chavez was impressed by how carefully Sheridan crafted her character. “Ariana’s story is so beautiful, and we wanted to tell it as authentically as possible,” Chavez said. “He was always just a phone call away, and it's rare for a creator to be that involved.” Sheridan wants to realize his “vision,” according to Chavez. “It must be protected at all costs.”
While his intelligence, originality, and compassion are widely considered to be Sheridan's greatest assets, the care he takes to help his cast and crew realize his creative vision is perhaps even more important to his unprecedented success. .
The first two episodes of Landman Now streaming on Paramount+
