Superstar actor Billy Bob Thornton told Vanity Fair in July that shooting his upcoming series with Taylor Sheridan pushed everyone to the brink.
Thornton stars alongside Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, Ali Larter and more in Sheridan’s upcoming Texas-based modern western “Landman,” which sounds absolutely nothing like his flagship Paramount+ “Yellowstone” franchise. The series is sans cowboys, instead being previously described as “a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs” by “roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.” (RELATED: ‘Yellowstone’ Star Predicts Horrific Death In Final Episodes)
But apparently the process of shooting hit Thornton like a brick wall. “There were days when I thought, not only me, but everybody on the crew was going to pass out,” Thornton told Vanity Fair of the extreme heat he and his colleagues faced while filming the series in Texas.
“It was so hot some days, and we’re shooting out at these oil pumpjacks. Do you know what caliche is?” he asked Vanity Fair. “We’re on these caliche roads with the rocks in ‘em and stuff, and I’m wearing cowboy boots, and there are scenes where I have to run to the truck. It’s a hundred degrees with a hundred percent humidity. Jesus Christ, I’m in my 60s! This just sucks. My God, there were days when it was pretty hard. This was probably the hardest thing I ever did.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 11:(L-R) Billy Bob Thornton and Tim McGraw attend the world premiere of “1883” at Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 11: (L-R) Billy Bob Thornton, Faith Hill, Isabel May and Tim McGraw attend Paramount+ and 101 Studios world premiere of “1883” at Wynn Las Vegas on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas)
The entire thing was worth it for the opportunity to work with Sheridan, Thornton continued, turning the conversation over to his co-star, Demi Moore. (RELATED: Kevin Costner Reportedly Loses An A-List Friendship Over Taylor Sheridan’s Newest Show)
“Taylor works in a very unique way, and every actor that he meets with — we basically sit down, we hear what he’s looking to do, where he’s looking to go, and we have to say yes or no based on that. There’s no script,” Moore told the outlet.
CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 23: Demi Moore speaks on stage during the amfAR Cannes Gala 30th edition presented by Chopard And Red Sea International Film Festivalat Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 23, 2024 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for amfAR)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 07: Demi Moore speaks onstage the “BRATS” premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Theater on June 07, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
Moore says she’s already signed on for multiple seasons purely because of Sheridan’s track record for success with shows like “Tulsa King,” “1923,” “1883,” “Special Ops: Lioness” and more.
“He thinks way ahead. He’s thinking through not just one season. He’s thinking through an epic story,” Moore said of Sheridan’s style. “He writes incredible, complex, dynamic and delicious women who are powerful, vulnerable, flawed.” (RELATED: ‘1883’ Country Music Star Is Launching A Media Company For ‘Everyday Americans’)
Hamm and Larter both gave glowing reviews of Sheridan’s writing on this series. And with chaos still surrounding the final return of “Yellowstone,” We the Fans could really do with something to look forward to. And “Landman” looks like it’s it!
The series will drop in fall 2024.
