Taylor Sheridan Challenges George R.R. Martin to a Western Duel on Streaming

1 week ago 12

Taylor Sheridan wears a cowboy hat on the red carpet

Published Feb 20, 2026, 6:40 PM EST

Makuochi Echebiri is a News Writer for Collider. He has been interested in creative writing from as far back as high school, and he would consume pretty much anything that’s film or TV. However, his truest love lies in the presence of historical epics and thrillers.

Lured by the brilliance of Middle Earth from an early age both in print and on screen, his palate has since expanded to other realms including Westeros, Kattegat among others. He also possesses a great appetite for the stories that emanate from the vastness of space. Even though he is no Avenger.

Obsessed with storytelling and having works of his own that have yet to make it to print, he is content to use that ability to communicate to as many as are reachable. In his spare time, he looks out for avenues where he can aid people aside from his plans to reign over this earthly realm. Yes…you heard that first here.

Taylor Sheridan came on the scene with his work on the "American Frontier" trilogy, but the filmmaker would not come into prominence till his television empire took off at Paramount. From the Yellowstone franchise to shows like the hit series Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King, Sheridan has the public on a sort of puppet string with the quality of his work. Be it Westerns, action thrillers, crime dramas, and even reality television, Sheridan has you covered for your entertainment needs.

Sheridan's success can be mirrored with what George R.R. Martin has enjoyed at HBO with his Game of Thrones franchise, which has since birthed spin-offs, including House of the Dragon and the latest addition, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which has enjoyed incredible success in its first season. However, Martin's work is not confined to HBO, as evidenced by several other collaborations, including his contribution to the neo-Western crime dramaDark Winds, AMC’s beloved series produced by Martin and the late Robert Redford, which has remained a favorite for several years.

Another celebrated Sheridan creation is the acclaimed series, Landman, starring Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, which recently aired its Season 2 finale. According to data from FlixPatrol, in the battle of shows between Sheridan and Martin, Landman is leading the Amazon PVOD chart, ahead of the neo-Western Dark Winds. Upon concluding its second season on Paramount+ on Jan. 18, the Thornton-led drama recorded a series high for the show in Nielsen’s streaming ratings for that week. To highlight the success of Landman, the series had 1.62 billion minutes of viewing time for the week of January 19 to 25. According to FlixPatrol, the show has also spent nearly 200 days on the Amazon PVOD chart.

Is 'Landman' Worth Watching?

The show was released in 2024, and it returned for a second season last year. Landman would then be renewed for a third season a month after Season 2 premiered. Landman holds a solid critics' 80% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. However, the audience score is not as impressive, hovering at 56%. The website's consensus for the second season reads, "Further refining its brutish elements into addictive drama, Landman's second season makes minor improvements in its treatment of female characters while continuing to benefit from Billy Bob Thornton's hangdog swagger."

You can watch Landman on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.