Land Man Plot, Cast And More Details

While Taylor Sheridan is most famous for exploring the cowboy way of life with "Yellowstone" and its various spinoffs, he isn't afraid to focus on other gritty professions where rugged antiheroes make their way through the world without saddles or spurs. He told the tale of an aging mafioso with "Tulsa King," centered on special ops soldiers with "Lioness," and examined the prison industrial complex with "Mayor of Kingstown." And now, Sheridan is going to dig deep into his next topic, hoping to strike paydirt.

Sheridan's upcoming series is titled "Land Man," and it explores the unseen side of the oil industry. Like everything Sheridan touches, we're assuming this one will turn into (black) gold for the Paramount+ streaming service, but what exactly do we know about his millionth new series? (The man makes a lot of shows.) Well, if you're wondering what A-list talent has signed onto the project or what exactly the show will be about, read on for everything you need to know about "Land Man."

What does "Land Man" have in common with programs such as "The Dropout," "Homecoming," and "The Shrink Next Door?" Well, they're all based on podcasts. When it comes to "Land Man," Taylor Sheridan is taking inspiration from "Boomtown," which hails from Imperative Entertainment and Texas Monthly. The 11-episode podcast covers everything from the history of the oil industry in the Permian Basin of West Texas to the culture that springs up around oil boomtowns to the dangers of that business itself. There's even a little bit of overlap with Sheridan's "Yellowstone," as one episode explores "the uneasy alliance between ranchers and the oil industry."

As for "Land Man" itself, the series will examine the oil industry from all angles — from the haves calling the shots to the have-nots sweating away in the field. As the official log line puts it, "The drama is set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas and described as a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. The series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it's reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics." We also know the series will center around a crisis manager working for an oil company — a fixer who's called in to solve the trickiest of situations. Of course, you might be wondering who's going to play our sun-beaten protagonist, and we've got the answer for you...

During a promotional interview with Paramount+, Taylor Sheridan revealed that he'd written "Land Man" with one particular actor in mind — Billy Bob Thornton. And as it turns out, that's exactly who's playing the lead role of crisis manager Tommy Norris. Thornton and Sheridan evidently enjoy working together, as they previously collaborated on "1883," where the actor played Marshal Jim Courtright.

Needless to say, Thornton is one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood, with films such as "Bad Santa" and "Sling Blade" and TV series like "Fargo" Season 1 and Amazon Studio's "Goliath." He'll be joined here by fellow Taylor Sheridan alum Michelle Randolph. After playing in the "Yellowstone" spinoff "1923," she'll portray Thornton's teenage daughter, Ainsley.

You can also expect to see Jacob Lofland of "Mud" and the "Maze Runner" movies as Thornton's son, Cooper, who's discovering how difficult things can be in the Texas oil fields. Finally, rounding out what's sure to be a dysfunctional family unit is Ali Larter as Thornton's ex-wife, Angela. You'll no doubt recognize Larter from hit films such as "Legally Blonde," the "Final Destination" series, and the "Resident Evil" movies.