Why Jon Hamm's New Show with Taylor Sheridan Is an 'Interesting' Pivot for Yellowstone Creator (Exclusive)

Jon Hamm stars alongside 'tremendous' castmates Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore in 'Yellowstone' creator Taylor Sheridan's new show about big oil in Texas

Jon Hamm photographed in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2020
Jon Hamm photographed in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2020. Photo:

Jerod Harris/Getty 

Good news, Yellowstone fans — production for creator Taylor Sheridan's newest series Landman is well underway in Texas. And according to star Jon Hamm, it'll be well worth the wait.

"We're already halfway through it," Hamm, 53, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

However, unlike Sheridan's other shows, the theme isn't centered around modern-day cowboys or ranch hands — though wide open spaces and businessmen warring with politicians certainly play a part.

"It's not actually cowboy-oriented at all," the Mad Men alum says of Landman, which also stars Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore and Ali Larter. The upcoming series is based on the 11-part podcast Boomtown, which is centered around a 21st-century oil boom in West Texas.

"It's more in the world of oil," Hamm continues. "It's based on oil speculators and what they called landmen, which are the guys that run around and try to acquire mineral rights and land rights in the hope of speculating and finding oil."

He adds, "There's a lot of oil under the ground here in Texas and they are constantly trying to find it."

Jon Hamm attends the "Maggie Moore(s)" premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at Spring Studios on June 12, 2023
Jon Hamm is pictured attending the 'Maggie Moore(s)' premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at Spring Studios on June 12, 2023 in New York City.

Theo Wargo/Getty

However, striking it rich is hardly as simple as drilling where the geology experts tell you to. "There are all the political things that come with that," Hamm says.

The dramatic series is slated to debut in 2025. According to a press release from Paramount+, where the show will stream, Landman will be a "modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs... an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires that are fueling a boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics."

"There's a lot of back and forth, a lot of intrigue and things like that," Hamm notes. "It's Taylor Sheridan and obviously it's very well written. It's very well-researched. It's a story very well told, and I think it's an interesting take on what happens when it comes to how we get the stuff that makes our cars and our lives and our planes and everything in our modern world go."

Hamm says he already believes fans are going to like it.

"It's got Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore, so it's a tremendous cast and it's been super fun to work on," the star explains. "And obviously, Taylor Sheridan's in charge of everything, so it's a great project."

He adds, "It's a good story. People are going to enjoy it."