Billy Bob Thornton is officially the king of the West Texas oilfields on screen, but behind the scenes, a massive financial war is brewing that proves not all A-listers are created equal. As Paramount+ gears up for the explosive third season of Taylor Sheridan’s hit series Landman, the man behind Tommy Norris is reportedly looking to secure a bag so big it would make an oil tycoon blush. But there is a humiliating twist in this tale of Hollywood greed: despite being the face of the franchise and demanding a historic paycheck, Thornton is getting absolutely smoked in the net worth department by his co-star, Demi Moore.
Sources are buzzing that Thornton is leveraging the show’s massive ratings success to negotiate a raise that could see him rivaling the biggest earners in television history. We are talking about Kevin Costner money. However, even with a potential seven-figure payout per episode, Thornton’s bank account looks like pocket change compared to the empire Demi Moore has built. The tension on set might be scripted, but the battle of the bank accounts is very real, and it is painting a fascinating picture of the power dynamics in modern Hollywood.
The Million Dollar Demand: Billy Bob Wants Costner Cash
Let’s talk numbers, because they are staggering. Insiders report that for Season , Thornton was already pulling in an estimated $ million per episode. That is a cool $ million for a season of work, a salary that puts him in the upper echelon of TV stars. But in the world of Taylor Sheridan shows, $ million is just the appetizer. With Landman shattering viewership records and becoming the number one show on streaming, Thornton holds all the cards, and he knows it.
The comparisons to Kevin Costner are inevitable. Costner was raking in a reported $. million per episode for Yellowstone before his dramatic exit. Rumors are flying that Thornton’s team is eyeing that same benchmark for Season . He has signed on for the long haul, confirming a commitment of “four or five years,” which gives him immense leverage. If Paramount wants to keep their golden goose happy, they are going to have to cut a check that rivals the GDP of a small country. The question is: will they pay up, or will we see another standoff like the one that killed John Dutton?
He is the face of the show. If Costner got . million, Billy Bob deserves . million. Pay the man!
Demi Moore’s Million Dollar Flex Humiliates The Lead
Here is where the ego bruise comes in. You would think the main character of the show would be the richest person in the room, right? Wrong. Billy Bob Thornton might be the “Landman,” but Demi Moore is the landlord. While Thornton boasts a respectable net worth of $ million, Demi Moore is sitting on a fortress of cash worth an estimated $ million. That is more than four times the wealth of the leading man.
Moore, who plays the powerful Cami Miller, has been cashing massive checks since the s. From her record-breaking payday for Striptease to her smart investments and high-profile divorce settlements, she is a financial powerhouse. On set, this dynamic has to sting. Thornton is out there hustling for a raise to hit the $. million mark, while Moore could probably buy the entire production company if she felt like it. It is a stark reminder that while Thornton is a star, Moore is an institution.
The Ratings Explosion Gives Thornton Leverage
Why does Thornton think he can demand such an exorbitant raise? Because the numbers back him up. The Season premiere of Landman was a nuclear explosion for Paramount+, racking up over . million views. That is a % increase over the first season. In the streaming wars, those kinds of numbers are currency. The show hit number one on Nielsen’s charts, proving that America is obsessed with the dirty dealings of the oil industry.
Thornton is the engine driving this viewership. His portrayal of the gritty, no-nonsense Tommy Norris has hooked audiences who were looking for their next fix after Yellowstone. His team is undoubtedly walking into negotiations with these spreadsheets, demanding that his salary reflect the fact that he is carrying the network on his back. If Paramount tries to lowball him, they risk alienating the face of their biggest hit. Expect a massive announcement about his contract soon, because money talks, and right now, it is screaming Billy Bob’s name.
From Angelina’s Blood Vials To Oil Baron Millions
To understand the hunger for this payday, you have to look at where Thornton came from. He wasn’t always the sleek, well-paid TV star. This is the guy who wore a vial of Angelina Jolie’s blood around his neck during one of Hollywood’s most chaotic marriages. He started as a failed baseball player from Arkansas who clawed his way into the industry with the indie smash Sling Blade. His career has been a rollercoaster of eccentric choices, six marriages, and wild tabloid headlines.
Now, at a stage in his career where most actors are slowing down, Thornton is reinventing himself as a streaming mogul. The transition from the “blood vial” era to the “oil money” era is complete. He has traded the rockstar lifestyle for real estate portfolios and eight-figure contracts. But old habits die hard, and the drive to secure the bag seems stronger than ever. He has four kids and a legacy to secure, and Landman is his golden ticket to generational wealth.
The Real Estate Hustle: Where The Money Goes
So, what does a man with $ million spend his money on? Houses, mostly. And divorce settlements. Thornton’s real estate history is as messy as his love life. Back in , he and Jolie bought a Beverly Hills mansion from Guns N’ Roses legend Slash for $. million. Thornton won the house in the divorce and flipped it for $ million years later. A nice profit, but it pales in comparison to the empires built by his co-stars.
He has also dabbled in Malibu, buying a Point Dume pad for $. million only to sell it for a loss years later. Ouch. Currently, he is living in a $. million Brentwood home with his wife Connie Angland. It is a nice life, sure, but it is not “Demi Moore Private Island” money. This disparity likely fuels the fire in contract negotiations. When you are looking at your co-star’s $ million fortune, your $. million house starts to feel a little small.
Jon Hamm And The Rest Of The Cast Are Peanuts
While Demi Moore sits on the throne, the rest of the cast is looking up at Thornton. Jon Hamm, who plays the deceased Monty Miller (but whose presence looms large), matches Thornton with a net worth of roughly $ million thanks to his Mad Men empire. But the rest of the supporting cast? They are fighting for scraps compared to the big three.
Ali Larter is sitting on about $ million, while veteran Sam Elliott and cartel boss Andy Garcia each hold around $ million. The younger stars, like Michelle Randolph and Jacob Lofland, are in the low single-digit millions. It creates a fascinating hierarchy on set. You have the billionaires (or near-billionaires), the multi-millionaire veterans, and the up-and-comers just happy to be there. But make no mistake: this is Billy Bob’s show, and he intends to be paid like it, regardless of what Demi Moore’s bank statement says.
Imagine having million and still being the ‘poor’ one next to Demi. Hollywood is wild.
As Season approaches, all eyes are on the contracts. Will Thornton get his record-breaking raise? Will Demi Moore continue to flex her financial superiority? In the high-stakes game of Landman, the drama behind the scenes is just as ruthless as the oil wars on camera. Stay tuned, because the check is about to clear, and it is going to be massive.
