The Taylor Sheridan television universe has continued to expand in recent times with new stars being added to the crown. One of the jewels of said crown is the Paramount+ crime series, Tulsa King, which follows exiled New York mafia cap, Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) as he builds a criminal empire for himself in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now filming its third season, the series’ success has triggered a spin-off series, NOLA King, which is poised to star Samuel L. Jackson in the leading role. Jackson is reportedly playing Russell Lee Washington Jr., a newcomer who is allegedly going to come into conflict with Stallone‘s Dwight Manfredi across multiple episodes of the show’s third season.
Theirs is, however, going to be a short-lived rivalry, as Jackson will head off to lead his own show after Tulsa King Season 3. Now, via his Instagram account, Stallone has released an image of him and Jackson on the set of Tulsa King Season 3. The two are dressed as their respective characters, with Dwight having a cigar in hand, and a pistol lying on the table alongside a half-full glass. The coming season signals the first time the pair of seasoned performers are working together, and in his caption, Stallone explains how much he enjoyed working with the newcomer. His caption read: “Finally got to work with the great Samuel L Jackson on Tulsa King. It was a great day!”
By the time Season 2 of Tulsa King had ended, Dwight had ensured that his businesses had gone legit. This gives him some legal cover for any other nefarious activities he might want to indulge in going forward. However, this didn’t stop him from being kidnapped by a mysterious, potentially government, organization, setting the stage for more action in Season 3. Exactly how Jackson‘s character fits into the narrative remains to be seen, but Stallone‘s Dwight is no stranger to people trying to encroach on his turf. However, given that Jackson‘s character will go on to lead his own criminal empire in NOLA King, his rivalry with Dwight will likely be short-lived. Whether the pair part as allies or enemies will be revealed when Tulsa King Season 3 arrives.
All Hail the ‘NOLA King’
Sheridan‘s ever-expanding TV crimeverse is a thing of beauty at this point. With a collection that already includes Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Mayor of Kingstown, and Tulsa King, the addition of the Jackson-led NOLA King seems like a major coup. Sheridan’s NOLA King is expected to be set in the gritty, corruption-laced underworld of New Orleans – a fresh backdrop for his familiar brand of tough-as-nails drama. How the series ties into Stallone‘s world in Oklahoma remains to be seen. Jackson had previously discussed joining the Sheridan-verse, saying:
“At least 15 of those shows are on my watchlist all the time, so I’m really happy to be in that universe. I was just talking to Pierce about that earlier. I watched Tulsa King, and I liked it even before that idea came up. I know very little about what’s going to happen. I don’t know the character’s name. I don’t know what our history is. I don’t know anything about it, but I do know that I’m very anxious to jump into it and find out what it’s going to be.”
A release date for the third season of Tulsa King hasn’t been set. Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Paramount+
via Collider