Billy Bob Thornton Officially Finds His Next Series Amid 'Landman' Season 3 Delays

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Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris in 'Landman' Season 2.

Published Oct 27, 2026, 2:31 PM EDT

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Billy Bob Thornton is one of the great actors of our time and he's in the midst of, well, we don't want to call it a renaissance because that would imply he wasn't doing well. But right now, he's on top of the world thanks in no small part to Taylor Sheridan and his phenomenally successful Paramount+ series Landman. However, with delays pushing Sheridan's biggest new series into the abyss, Thornton has instead found a new project.

Thornton is officially partnering with Fox Nation for a new three-part historical docudrama titled Billy Bob Thornton Presents: The Mayflower, which premieres November 23, 2026. The series will see the Oscar winner host an exploration of the Mayflower's voyage across the Atlantic, the First Thanksgiving, and the complicated events that helped shape the earliest foundations of the United States.

The series will follow the Pilgrims' dangerous journey to North America, the fragile relationship established between the English settlers and the Wampanoag people, and the devastating conflicts that followed. Fox Nation president Lauren Petterson praised Thornton's involvement, saying:

Billy Bob Thornton is a captivating storyteller with a unique ability to bring history to life. The Mayflower offers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on one of the most familiar chapters in American history, giving viewers a richer understanding of the people, conflicts and events that shaped our nation’s beginnings.

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Thornton is well used to taking part in historical productions at this point, with his best known one in that field being his portrayal of portrayed Davy Crockett in The Alamo, while his career has also included some of the most incredible work in projects like Fargo, Goliath, and Sling Blade, the latter earning him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

For The Mayflower, the production team consulted historians from Plimoth Patuxet Museums, where portions of the series were filmed, alongside Nathaniel Philbrick, author of Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War. Philbrick welcomed the project, stating:

The voyage of the Mayflower set into motion what would become the United States. Kudos to Billy Bob Thornton for helping to bring this vital story from America’s past to life.

Thornton also serves as an executive producer alongside Geyer Kosinski, Tom Forman, David Metzler, Jordan Rosenblum, and showrunner John Ealer, with AIRtime Projects and Terminal B TV producing.

All three episodes of Billy Bob Thornton Presents: The Mayflower premiere on Fox Nation beginning November 23, 2026.