Christian Wallace investigated the real-life West Texas oil boom before co-creating the series with Taylor Sheridan.

What is *Landman *based on? All about the real Texas oil drama that inspired the Paramount+ hit

Christian Wallace investigated the real-life West Texas oil boom before co-creating the series with Taylor Sheridan.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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January 24, 2026 11:00 a.m. ET

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Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris on 'Landman'. Credit:

Emerson Miller/Paramount+

- *Landman *stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, a fixer-turned-executive navigating the oil fields of West Texas.

- The drama is inspired by the podcast *Boomtown*, hosted by *Landman *co-creator Christian Wallace.

- *Boomtown* digs into the explosive oil boom that transformed West Texas and the people living in it.

*Landman *has quickly become one of Paramount+'s most talked-about dramas. Set in the oil fields of West Texas, the series stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, a seasoned landman navigating the cutthroat business of liquid gold.

Season 2 premiered in November 2025, with its debut episode more than doubling that of its previous season. A third season was announced soon after the season 2 premiere, an indication of the show's growing popularity.

Part of *Landman*'s appeal comes from co-creator Taylor Sheridan's knack for blending interpersonal drama with real-life experiences and history. But how much of *Landman* is based on fact? Here's everything to know about the historical events (and podcast) that inspired *Landman*.

What is *Landman *about?

James Jordan as Dale on 'Landman'.

Emerson Miller/Paramount+

*Landman *takes place in contemporary West Texas, right in the middle of a massive oil boom that's "reshaping the climate, the economy, and geopolitics," according to the synopsis. At the center is Tommy Norris (Thornton), a veteran fixer for M-Tex Oil who suddenly finds himself as its president after the death of founder Monty Miller (Jon Hamm).

"Tommy's kind of a reluctant executive and still acting in his old role, too, because he's the kind of guy who can't really give up what he knows and where he feels the most comfortable," Thornton said of his season 2 role in a recent chat with **.

By the end of the latest season, Tommy takes a huge risk that could either secure his future (and his crew's) or send it all crashing down.

What is *Landman *based on?

Adrian Hernandez as Craig, Emilio Rivera as Luis, Michael Peñ as Armando, and Jacob Lofland as Cooper Norris on 'Landman'.

Emerson Miller/Paramount+

*Landman* is loosely inspired by *Boomtown*, a *Texas Monthly *podcast hosted by former journalist Christian Wallace.

Wallace, who co-created *Landman *with Sheridan, grew up in West Texas and spent time working on an oil rig when the region's latest oil boom took off in 2019. Watching the Permian Basin transform pushed him to start asking questions about who was really benefiting and who wasn't.

Billy Bob Thornton shares the relationship dynamics he wants to see in 'Landman' season 3

Billy Bob Thornton on where Tommy and Cami stand after that dramatic 'Landman' season 2 finale

Those questions fueled his* Texas Monthly *piece, "The Permian Basin Is Booming With Oil. But at What Cost to West Texans?", which instantly resonated with readers. Soon, it expanded into *Boomtown*, a podcast series that immerses listeners into the fast-paced, high-stakes world of West Texas Oil.

Wallace tracked the bigwigs cashing in, but also dug into what the historic boom was doing to life on the ground. He spoke with rig workers risking their lives, ranchers breathing in toxic gases, and teachers struggling to manage classrooms that had suddenly doubled in size.

How much of Landman comes from Boomtown?

Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris on 'Landman'.

Emerson Miller/Paramount+

When Hollywood took an interest in *Boomtown*, Wallace reached out to Sheridan, with whom he was acquainted, for help shaping the podcast into a series. "I reached out to Taylor because I knew that out of everyone working in that space, Taylor's voice is the most authentic to the American West," Wallace recalled to EW. "A lot of our ideas about how to tell stories about this place really align."

Wallace described the podcast as "a launching point" for the show, adding, "Taylor had a lot of his own ideas coming into it and already had some characters and things he wanted to do. So we just combined some elements of the podcast with a story and the family that he already had in mind and it worked out really, really well."

Still, they wanted the series to feel authentic. In January 2025, Wallace spoke with *Deadline* and revealed that much of what happens on the show is based on actual events.

"A lot of it is very accurate," he explained. "Some of it we had to kind of squeeze together to make it make sense for our characters. And it's funny, it depends on who you ask. My uncle who works in the oil field for the last 30 years will nitpick every little thing. But I think for the most part, it's safe to say you get a decent sense of what it's like working in oil and gas out there."

Where can I watch Landman?

*Landman *is now streaming on Paramount+.

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