How are Landman and Yellowstone related? The connection runs deeper than just Taylor Sheridan
If you've watched five minutes of Landman and thought "this feels like Yellowstone with oil rigs" — you're not imagining it. But the relationship between the two shows is more tangled than a simple shared universe. Here's how they actually connect.
The short answer
Landman and Yellowstone are not set in the same universe — that's been confirmed. Only 1883 and 1923 are official Yellowstone spinoffs. But both shows are created by Taylor Sheridan, share cast members, recycle dialogue, and tell the same core story: family, land, power, and what America costs the people trying to hold onto all three.
Same creator, same DNA
Yellowstone (2018–2024) follows the Dutton family defending Montana's largest ranch. Landman, which premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024, follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a crisis executive in the West Texas oil patch. Sheridan co-created it with Christian Wallace, based on Wallace's 2019 podcast Boomtown.
Thornton addressed the overlap directly in a ScreenRant interview, saying both shows are about the people rather than the industry, and adding:
"I think Taylor has a handle on human behavior."
The Easter eggs fans keep spotting
The shows wink at each other constantly. Some of it borders on copy-paste:
- The toilet threat — In Landman season 1, episode 4, attorney Rebecca Falcone tells opposing counsel she'll hang their law degrees over her toilet. Beth Dutton made the exact same threat in Yellowstone season 3's "Meaner Than Evil."
- Shared actors — Michelle Randolph plays Elizabeth Dutton in 1923 and Ainsley Norris in Landman. James Jordan appeared in Yellowstone before moving to Texas. Sam Elliott, star of 1883, joined Landman for season 2.
- Animal symbolism — Kayce Dutton's recurring wolf in Yellowstone, the wolf attack in 1923, and the coyote that appears to Tommy Norris at emotional turning points in Landman season 2.
None of these actors play canonically connected characters. Yet.
Could a crossover actually happen?
The door isn't shut. The upcoming spinoff 6666 is set in Texas, and The Dutton Ranch — the Beth and Rip spinoff — is also heading there. Sheridan has four Yellowstone spinoffs airing in 2026: The Dutton Ranch, Y: Marshals, 1944, and The Madison. With that much of the Sheridanverse relocating to Landman's home turf, the geography alone keeps fans hopeful.
And the Landman season 2 finale gave Tommy Norris a very Dutton-shaped ending: launching his own oil exploration company with his son and his father. A family legacy built on land and what's under it.