Billy Bob Thornton, stars of ‘Landman’ walk red carpet for Fort Worth premiere

Although Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton didn’t grow up in Fort Worth, he considers it his favorite U.S. city. 

Not only does he love celebrating Fort Worth’s Western culture, but he appreciates seeing the city serve as the primary film location for the return of his latest television project “Landman.” 

“For years and years, it was kind of the little sister to the big sister, and Fort Worth is really getting us through now,” Thornton said. 

Thornton and “Landman” cast members Sam Elliott, Paulina Chávez, Michelle Randolph and James Jordan gathered at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Nov. 6 for an early screening of the hit Paramount+ series’ Season 2 premiere. Co-creator Taylor Sheridan was not in attendance, but his wife, Nicole Muirbrook, was there in his place.

“Landman” follows the dangerous work and family drama of Tommy Norris, played by Thornton, as he negotiates leases with landowners to explore and develop their property for energy production. Throughout the first season, Norris navigates challenging relationships between corporate executives, Mexican drug cartel members and workers in the oil and gas industry in the Permian Basin.

The series was co-created by Sheridan and Christian Wallace, host of the Texas Monthly “Boomtown” podcast that inspired the TV show. The series has been filmed primarily in and around Fort Worth, including Sundance Square Plaza, Frost Tower and Texas Christian University. 

The first season was a hit, viewed by 14.9 million worldwide, making it the most watched Paramount+ original series and renewing interest in the industry, Andrea Spencer, director of communications for the American Association of Petroleum Landmen, previously told the Report.

Filming in Fort Worth has been key to the show’s success, Wallace said, since the city has provided an “authentic and genuine” view of Texas. 

“Fort Worth is like Texas on steroids,” Wallace said at the red carpet premiere. “It’s very welcoming and it’s a lot of fun. Fort Worth is the perfect spot for this show.” 

North Texas has become a prime location for filmmakers in recent years in response to a coordinated push from state filmmakers and actors like Sheridan and Matthew McConaughey to grow the industry in Texas. In late May, state lawmakers passed a bill allocating  $1.5 billion for film and television productions over the next decade. 

Sheridan is currently building a Fort Worth campus that will be home to the largest production studio in Texas. He also filmed scenes for the upcoming season of “Lioness,” his spy series, in several of the city’s neighborhoods.

What viewers can expect in S2 (spoiler alert for S1 ending)

Season 2 of “Landman” picks up — spoiler alert — with Tommy navigating his new role as president of M-Tex Oil after company CEO Monty Miller, played by Jon Hamm, died following his hospitalization for a heart attack. 

Tommy must now work closely with Monty’s widow Cami, played by Academy Award nominee Demi Moore, as she questions whether she can legitimately run the oil company. Elliott joins this season’s ensemble as Tommy’s father T.L. “Pop” Norris, who is expected to introduce new family conflicts to the series. 

Chávez, who plays Ariana, is excited for fans to see her character flourish and step into her own after the first season, which saw her widowed when her husband died in an oil rig accident.

“She’s really discovering what she needs, and she has a beautiful storyline that I’m so excited for everyone to see,” Chávez said. 

Thornton described the upcoming season in five words: humorous, dramatic, emotional, dangerous and absurd.

“Every now and then in great movies in the old days, there was always some absurdity to hit the audience in the face with something,” he said during the red carpet. “It’s why the show’s successful, because these characters are unabashedly who they are.” 

“Landman” Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ Nov. 16. 

David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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