ever-growing list of “Yellowstone” spin-offs proves that Taylor Sheridan knows how to milk a franchise, but there is more to his oeuvre than Dutton family drama. “Landman” is an oil-themed series with no connection to the “Yellowstone” universe, yet both properties are similar in the sense that they are doing huge numbers for the Paramount Network. In fact, “Landman” season 1 broke streaming records and made an unlikely fan out of Stephen King, who hates himself for enjoying Sheridan’s series.
Be that as it may, Billy Bob Thornton (who plays Tommy Norris on “Landman”) isn’t surprised by its success … though he was caught off-guard by its reach. As he told the Los Angeles Times:
“We knew we were making something really special. We thought people would like it. But the response has been so much beyond what we thought. Traditionally, Taylor’s stuff is more of a middle-of-the-country kind of thing. But with this, it’s the middle of the country, the coasts, and other countries, too. We’re humbled by that. When people come up and want to talk about it, it means a lot.”
As Thornton mentioned, “Yellowstone” is mostly popular in the U.S.’s so-called “flyover” states. “Landman,” meanwhile, seems to be more accessible for viewers across the board — and the actor believes it’s due to the series’ subject matter and ability to connect with audiences on a human level.
