"In the beginning, we thought the series would only work in the middle of the United States and not as well along the coasts. We didn't expect it to be an international success," says Billy Bob Thornton, who plays the lead role.
In "Landman" you follow his character Tommy Norris, a kind of fixer in the oil industry who struggles with both private and professional complications.
Season one ended with a literal crescendo, and new challenges await in season two. Among them is the wayward ex-wife of Tommy Norris, played by Ali Larter – known from "Heroes."
“Great respect”
Larter and Billy Bob Thornton are meeting the press at a digital press conference ahead of the season. Both are in high spirits and have only good things to say about the collaboration.
"We have a lot of respect for each other. We work very hard, we filmed for five months down in Fort Worth, and as someone who has been in the industry for a long time, I can tell you that it's a special group of people," Thornton says.
"Landman" creator Taylor Sheridan, who is also the man behind successes like "Yellowstone" and its spin-offs, also hails from Fort Worth.
"Landman" has been criticized for following in the footsteps of "Dallas" with a plot that throws the hard-boiled atmosphere into soap opera land.
Ali Larter believes the explanation lies in Sheridan's way of playing with the genre.
"The way Taylor writes, his heightened reality, often leads into new areas. First comedy, then satire, romance and down into darkness. It's like a roller coaster that takes you in different directions, drama, violence and action," she says.
Criticism of portraits of women
Sheridan wrote “Landman” with Billy Bob Thornton in mind. That’s why he can also borrow from reality, Thornton says.
Taylor figured out my personality pretty early on, when we got to know each other. Now he's adding more and more layers of me on top of the character, and I think viewers will be surprised by Tommy's inner self this season.
The series has also received some criticism for its portrayal of women, mainly because both ex-wife Angela and her and Tommy's daughter in the series are sexualized and sexualize themselves.
"The story takes place in a very masculine world, but if you go to Texas, you notice that the women are tough and at the same time they own their femininity. In the series, the women have to find their place in this ultra-masculine world," says Ali Larter.
"Landman" is streaming on Sky Showtime in Sweden and season two premieres on November 21.
Drama series premiering in 2024. The series is loosely based on the podcast "Boomtown" by Christian Wallace, who created "Landman" together with "Yellowstone" writer Taylor Sheridan.
Billy Bob Thornton stars as fixer Tommy Norris, who works for a Texas oil millionaire, played by Jon Hamm. Other roles in the series include Demi Moore, Ali Larter and Michelle Randolph. The series follows the Norris family and the millionaire's family as well as the employees of the oil rig.
New faces in season two are actors Andy Garcia and Sam Elliott.
