Landman Cast on Record Finale, Global Reach
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- Billy Bob Thornton said playing Tommy Norris felt like "putting on a nice pair of worn-in pants," noting father-son dynamics come naturally because he's a father who had a "very tricky relationship" with his own dad, and that he and TV father Sam Elliott "go way back."
- Sam Elliott said Landman resonates because it's "a reflection of what we all would like to deal with from day to day" — decent people treating each other well — adding that "today more than anytime, that's what we're all craving."
- The Landman Season 2 finale drew 15.8 million viewers in its first two days, making it the most-watched original series finale ever for Paramount+.
- Director/EP Stephen Kay attributed the show's international success to genuine affection among the cast and crew: "We love each other, and you can sort of feel it when you watch the show. There's a whole lot of heart."
- Thornton said the team initially expected the show to appeal to "the middle of the country" and "didn't think the coasts would go for it," expressing surprise at fans in Uganda, Australia, and elsewhere, crediting the show's mix of "emotion and humor and drama and absurdity and danger" for its broad appeal.
- Season 3 of Landman was announced in December and is set to begin shooting in May.
Why it matters: With the Season 2 finale drawing 15.8 million viewers in two days — a Paramount+ original-series record — Landman has become a flagship property for the streamer heading into a Season 3 shoot in May, and the team's candor about never expecting that global reach reveals how streaming-era hits are still routinely outgrowing their creators' original ambitions.
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