Best known for his equally emotional and physically charged interpretation of the tough guy persona throughout the many iterations of the Rocky franchise while playing Rocky Balboa, acclaimed actor Sylvester Stallone has always made sure to build his credited career around specific characters that not only keep their goals front and center but are also not at all afraid to step into unfamiliar situations when it comes to achieving those goals.
Besides cementing himself as the Italian Stallion since November 21st, 1976, one should definitely not forget about the unforgettable legacy Stallone made throughout the iconic Rambo franchise, which was released five years later. Playing a nomadic Vietnam veteran who is finally returning home, Stallone is John Rambo, a scarred man who’s not afraid to dish out his own violent version of justice when he feels like it is warranted.
Given the fact that these two iconic roles presented themselves on the big screen for the first time over forty years ago, the prospect of seventy-six-year-old Sylvester Stallone finally making his television debut in Tulsa King is exciting. Seeing the action star leading a gangster-themed show was definitely not on everyone’s bingo card for 2022. But don’t let anything about that statement or even his age fool you. The season one premiere increasingly reminds viewers of Stallone’s whimsical but stern acting flexibility. It’s almost like reuniting with an old friend.
Stallone Returns as a Shark
A Paramount Plus exclusive series, the first episode of Tulsa King was released on November 13th, 2022, and portrays Stallone as Dwight Manfredi, a mafia head who has just been released from prison after serving over twenty years behind bars. Unlike other gangster franchises where the main character has to familiarize themselves with Mafioso life once more after being away for a period of time, this series decides to take two left turns instead of just one.
Rather than cordially being invited back into the family, Manfredi’s boss instead decides to send him all the way out to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Once there, Manfredi’s orders are to set up a base of operations and start bringing in the cash. With his new life now fixated on bringing his type of business out to a boring town, Sylvester Stallone’s character quickly gets to work and drafts ordinary citizens with ordinary jobs into his circle, whether they like it or not.
Given that the initial trailer mainly highlighted fiery explosions, hot tempers, chaotic action, and not much else that the show may have to offer, it was a pleasant surprise to see so many familiar faces as cast members just in the first episode alone. Martin Starr, who played Bertram Gilfoyle in Silicon Valley and Roger Harrington in all three Spider-Man MCU movies, is cast as Bodhi, the owner of a marijuana dispensary Dwight aggressively commandeers. Andrea Savage, the star of the Netflix movie, Look Both Ways, is Stacey Beale, a romantic interest that quickly fizzles out for Manfredi after he reveals his age to her.
Saved for the last but not the least important in any way is A.C Peterson, who plays Pete "The Rock" Invernizzi, the mafia boss who shuns Manfredi away to Oklahoma. The actor has been cast in shows like Stargate, Stargate SG-1, Olympus on Syfy, Superman and Lois on The CW, and even starred in an episode of the Odd Squad on PBS. Peterson has proven that he can mold very well into any themed role he plays.
Tailoring the Tulsa King
Numerous management companies are on board with the behind-the-scenes making of Tulsa King, including Bosque Ranch Productions, a Texas-based company that has brought other popular shows to life like Yellowstone, 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story, and Mayor of Kingstown. Another that should be mentioned, which is not surprising, is Balboa Productions.
Headed by Stallone himself and founded in 2018, the privately held company has produced Rambo: Last Blood and a Prime Video exclusive release titled Samaritan, just to name a few. It has been stated that Balboa Productions would like to be synonymous with the likes of Blumhouse Studios but with the action genre instead of horror.
Even though Paramount has yet to make any sort of official announcement confirming or denying a second season for Tulsa King, this should be a very easy decision for the world-leading entertainment conglomerate. In a world where the very first episode can make or break a series, the Sylvester Stallone-led action show already has numerous better-than-average reviews on various review sites, a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and averaging an eight out of ten score on IMDB.
With accolades like that already on the board for Dwight Manfredi, it's safe to say that his new empire in Tulsa is surely going to last longer than expected.