dpEXCLUSIVE: It pays to be on a massive hit. That is the takeaway for original stars of Paramount+’s flagship series Landman who have successfully negotiated significant raises heading into Season 3, Deadline has learned.
That involves the entire original cast of the Taylor Sheridan drama with the exception of lead Billy Bob Thornton, who I hear has a separate three-year deal with its standard year-to-year increases and would be up for negotiating a new contract if Landman goes to a fourth season.
According to sources, that’s what happened this year with the other star at the top of the Landman call sheet, Demi Moore, whose original contract also was shorter than the norm at two years. She now has a new deal with a sizable raise, bringing her to parity with Thornton next season at what I hear is a salary in the $740K-$770K an episode range for each, I hear.
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The rest of the original cast have renegotiated their existing long-term contracts. Ali Larter took the longest to close; while the rest largely were set by April, she did not reach an agreement until recently, according to sources. She scored a big increase: The Heroes alumna, who tested for her Landman role, more than doubled her most recent paycheck, going up to north of $350K an episode, in addition to getting a talent deal, I hear.
The remaining Landman original series regulars, who didn’t have particularly high profiles before joining the Sheridan series, all got nice bumps, I hear, at least doubling their previous salaries.
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Leading that group are breakouts Jacob Lofland and Michelle Randolph, who are going up to $130K – $180K an episode next season, sources said. Paulina Chavez, Kayla Wallace, Mark Collie and James Jordan are believed to be under that, all landing big percentage raises off a modest base.
From lower left: ‘Landman’s James Jordan, Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, Paulina Chavez, Kayla Wallace and Mark Collie
Paramount+
Reps for 101 Studios and Paramount TV Studios, which produce Landman and the rest of Sheridan’s current series, declined comment, as did reps for the actors.
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Once a popular tradition on all successful shows, contract renegotiations after Season 2 are a very rare occurrence these days, reserved only for the biggest hits amid industry belt-tightening. If done at all, such renegotiations typically are pushed to later in a show’s run, after Season 3 or 4.
Landman qualifies as one of television’s biggest hits. Its Season 2 premiere drew 9.2 streaming views in its first 48 hours, becoming the most-watched premiere for an original series on Paramount+. The Season 2 finale rose to 14.8 million views within two days, making it the most-watched original series finale ever on the platform.
Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris in ‘Landman’
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
This past season, Landman added two big names to its main cast who could factor in future salary renegotiations: Sam Elliott and Andy Garcia.
Production on Season 3 is slated to begin in late August in Fort Worth, Texas.
