Actor Billy Bob Thornton, who in the past did perhaps the most significant changes so far on the big screen as he starred in movies like ‘Sling Blade’ and ‘A Simple Plan’, will return to the small screen with a brand new series called ‘Landman’. This series, from ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘1883’ creator Taylor Sheridan, tells the tale of this high-stakes world of oil and the true environmental, economic, and personal tolls. Thornton plays an oilman operating with a seasoned savvy in an uncertain landscape a business that is simultaneously a lifeline and a lightning rod for controversy. In a recent interview, Thornton said:. “I don’t take things that I’m not right for,” he said, emphasizing his selective approach to projects. “This one felt like it had weight like it was saying something important about who we are as a country and what we value.”
Set in the heart of Texas, ‘Landman’ is a tale about lives transformed by oil: fortunes made and lost, land scarred, and ethical dilemmas confronting those in the industry. But Thornton, rugged yet thoughtful, exemplifies that nuance that often falls victim to propaganda about black and white industries.“Billy Bob brings authenticity in a not too common way,” Sheridan said. “He has a way of making even the most hardened characters human. That’s what this role needed someone who could carry both the grit and the heart behind the tough decisions.”
It’s not about preaching or pointing fingers,” said Collin Thornton, one of Sheridan’s longtime collaborators. “It’s about showing the real human stories behind the industry what people sacrifice, what they gain, and what they lose.”The role in ‘Landman’ also aligns with Thornton’s penchant for complex, morally ambiguous characters. “I’m drawn to stories that show the gray areas, the struggles that define people,” he said. “This series does that brilliantly.”
In ‘Landman’, all the debates brought up on fossil fuel, climate change, and renewable energy are at a boiling point. Thornton believes the series will create important conversations. “It’s entertainment, sure, but it’s also a mirror. It’s asking us to look at ourselves and ask hard questions.” With Thornton’s undeniable talent and Sheridan’s storytelling ability, ‘Landman’ should come out swinging when it opens on Paramount+. It’s a raw look into an industry and the people whose lives revolve around it.
