The Big Picture

Landman
portrays the dangerous world of oil drilling in West Texas, showcasing class disparities and billionaire power.

Landman
incorporates authentic, real-life oil industry elements and risks, blending reality with heightened drama.
In this interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, creator Christian Wallace highlights the potential for exciting character developments in a potential
Landman
Season 2.

From December 2019 through April 2020, the world was introduced to the captivating and dangerous world of big oil in Texas’ Permian Basin by way of Christian Wallace’s standout podcast, Boomtown. Wallace, the creator and host of the acclaimed program, grew up in Andrews, Texas, about a half hour away from the New Mexico border. There, he spent a year as a roughneck, working on drilling rigs in the oil fields. Now, his backbreaking labor, both physical and creative, has been absorbed into the ever-growing palette of Taylor Sheridan’s award-winning original series with the exciting and new Landman for Paramount+.

Helmed by Sheridan and inspired by Wallace’s popular podcast,Landman takes place in the West Texas world of oil rigs, showing class disparities between the hard-working roughnecks and the billionaires fueling a boom so large it’s changing the world as we know it. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, top-billed as Tommy Norris, a crisis manager for a major oil company, Landman also co-stars Ali Larter, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm.

Wallace took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to Collider’s Steve Weintraub about all things Landman. Together they discussed how the world of these characters was crafted with Sheridan, bringing dimension and humor to the workers of the oil industry by way of his writing process, and if there are any plans for a connected, shared Sheridan-verse in the future.

‘Landman’ Depicts the Dangerous Realities of Oil Drilling
“There are things that might seem almost too far-fetched that are actually based in reality.”

STEVE WEINTRAUB: How are you doing today, sir?

CHRISTIAN WALLACE: I’m good, Steve, how are you?

I’m good. Congrats on the show. I’ve seen five episodes and if I had the other five, I’d continue watching.

WALLACE: Well, that is a good sign. Thank you.

I know a little bit about the oil industry, but I feel like I learned a lot watching the show. For people who are going to watch this, how much is what you’re depicting highly fictionalized? How much is this just the way it really is?

WALLACE: I would say there’s a lot in the story that is very authentic, very true to life as far as the actual oil and gas stuff goes. Some of the storylines involving — I don’t want to give too much away — some of the characters they meet there, there are definitely some heightened drama of their conflicts. But as far as the work and the dangers on the rig, risking life and limb, that’s all very, very real. Even some of the extraordinary things, like a plane colliding with an oil tanker on a road. That is at least partially based in truth. How there really were cartel members landing planes out on these rural roads to unload drugs. There are things that might seem almost too far-fetched that are actually based in reality.

How much have you taken notes about some of the craziest shit that’s happened? In case you get to do Seasons 2 and 3.

WALLACE: Let me just say I have an ongoing list that I’m always adding to. I talk to my buddies in the oil field all the time. They’ll tell me stuff, and I’m like, “Hold on, write that down.” Because there’s yet another crazy way to die or an interesting, funny tidbit. There’s always something. You can just keep gathering more material.

Taylor Sheridan Is Always “A Few Steps Ahead” Creatively
“One of his great talents as a storyteller is stringing you along.”
Image via Paramount+

Taylor’s shows are very successful, and they do tend to run more than one season. When you guys were working on this, how much were you thinking about a three-season arc or a five-season arc? How much were you both like, “Let’s just work on the 10 episodes, and then we’ll see if we get to go and do more?”

WALLACE: Absolutely. I don’t even know how far ahead [Taylor’s] really thinking because he’s always a few steps ahead of everyone else. But he definitely had a mind for where some of these character arcs were going long-term. Then there’s also just, “Let’s tell the best story possible within these 10 episodes, right?” Hats off to him for knowing just how much to put out and to leave you wanting more. Almost every episode, it doesn’t necessarily end on a cliffhanger, but like you said, you’ve seen the first five episodes — I wanna watch the rest. That’s one of his great talents as a storyteller is stringing you along and leaving you wanting more while still leaving you satisfied with a story well told.

I have not seen the season finale, but how much were you guys debating what the season finale would be? Did you know when you were making Episode 1, “We’re going to this event?”

WALLACE: No, that’s the thing. I don’t think there was an exact road map. I don’t want to speak too directly to Taylor’s creative process, I only have it from my outsider’s perspective, but there are certain things he knows concretely about how things are gonna play out. There are other things I think he’s really exploring as the narrative itself unfurls and what presents itself, what shows itself, and that is a fun way to work because it leaves opportunities to be like, “Hey, what if we did this?” Or ideas for different scenes come along through the writing process. Getting to have a first row seat to that process was cool for me to watch how he works.

7:10 Related After 26 Years, This Is Still Billy Bob Thornton’s Toughest Shoot Thornton shares what he learned on set, discusses putting all his trust in Sheridan, and his thoughts on directing in future seasons.

One of the things about making any television show is you learn a lot when you’re making the first season. You’re also watching the actors you’ve cast and have these roles and are figuring out how to write for them. What did you guys learn making the first season that you’ll take with you to Season 2?

WALLACE: One of the things that came out watching these actors — and I’m talking specifically about Billy Bob, who plays Tommy Norris, Ali Larter, who plays Angela, his ex-wife and lover, and then his two children, Michelle Randolph and Jacob Lofland — seeing their dynamic on screen, even as dysfunctional as they can be, and the humor in that, there was also a real chemistry and a real affection that came across on the screen. It’s what you’re hoping for. It was, to me at least, even better seeing how they played those characters and how those characters meshed. That’s one thing moving forward with the family, that personal drama.

Then a shoutout to James Jordan. His comedy in this series is just exceptional. I think it’s his funniest role yet, and that’s saying something. Just knowing that will be fun to continue playing with. Who knows what we’re gonna make him eat next? Because he’s got a can of beans and cereal, and he’s always eating something, potato chips. Not the healthiest diet for an actor, but he does it all very admirably.

Taylor has a lot of shows on TV. Have you even considered a crossover with one of the other shows? Now there are just so many, and it’d be interesting to see if this is all set in the same universe.

WALLACE: Sure. So, that’s above my pay grade, I would say. I just stick to my part of the sandbox, which is Landman. But who knows?

Landman premieres every Sunday on Paramount+.

A modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of West Texas oil rigs.Where To Watch Paramount+

Watch on Paramount+