Even Sylvester Stallone can get a little nervous when Samuel L. Jackson walks into the room. The Tulsa King star recently admitted that he wasn’t exactly thrilled when he first learned Jackson would be joining Taylor Sheridan’s expanding crime universe — but things turned out far better than he expected. The Rocky and Rambo icon said in a recent interview that he initially thought sharing the screen with Jackson might turn into a clash of egos.
“I went, ‘This is gonna be a fistfight. This is gonna be a battle.’ Like two boxers in a ring: Who is gonna throw the first punch? So, you’re getting nervous because you’re dealing with serious competition. But now we’re good. We’re flowing. We could do a show called Tulsa King and Buddy. We worked well together.”
Now in its third season on Paramount+, Tulsa King continues to hold strong despite slightly lower critical scores than before. The series remains a major hit for the streamer, and with Season 4 already greenlit, Stallone’s mob boss Dwight “The General” Manfredi isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But it’s Jackson’s upcoming spin-off, NOLA King, that’s generating new buzz in the ever-expanding Sheridan universe.
What Is ‘NOLA King’ About?
NOLA King will follow Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Lee Washington Jr., the character who will soon be introduced in Tulsa King. After befriending Dwight Manfredi (Stallone) during a 10-year stint in federal prison, Washington is sent to Tulsa by the Renzetti crime family to take Dwight out once and for all.
But after witnessing what Dwight built in Tulsa — and realizing the value of second chances — Washington returns to New Orleans, the city he left behind 42 years ago, determined to rebuild his life and reclaim control of the streets. The official logline reads:
“NOLA King follows Russell Lee Washington Jr. (Jackson) who, after befriending Dwight Manfredi (Stallone) during a 10-year stint in federal prison, is sent to Tulsa by New York’s Renzetti crime family to take Dwight out once and for all. Inspired by what Dwight created in Tulsa and impressed with the possibilities of second chances, Washington returns to New Orleans, the home he abandoned 42 years ago, to rekindle his relationship with his family, friends, and to take control of the city he left behind. In so doing, he incurs the wrath of his former employers in New York and makes himself vulnerable to old NOLA foes, both criminal and cop.”
The series will begin filming in early 2026, with a potential premiere later that same year on Paramount+.
Release Date
November 13, 2022
Network
Paramount+
Showrunner
Dave Erickson, Terence Winter
