Sylvester Stallone rocked the small screen earlier this week with his starring role in Tulsa King. The Paramount+ series follows his character, Dwight 'The General' Manfredi, as he's released from prison, moving from New York to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he builds a new criminal empire.
Stallone stars alongside Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, A.C. Peterson, and Garrett Hedlund. The series comes from creator Taylor Sheridan, who can't miss with his recent shows, which include Yellowstone and its various spinoffs.
During an interview with Collider, Stallone discussed his conversations with Sheridan before filming the series and why they plan on continuing the show for multiple seasons.
"Yeah, we did. We did touch on that. I'm a big believer, since I started my career, in sequels. I think that if you build a character, why have them disappear? Like say, 'The Godfather', Michael [Corleone], you want to see him move on. I want the same thing with this. But the one aspect that we added was, in his original concept, which is great, gangster goes west... it was a little more serious and a little tougher. I thought if I could throw in my personality - because it's a little off-center at times, irreverent - then you have a gangster who's not incredibly threatening. I mean, he can go gangster on you, but then again, he can be silly and do jokes, and kind of embrace other people instead of threatening them."
Of course, a second season will be up to Paramount and the viewer's response to Tulsa King. A name as big as Stallone's is sure to draw a fanbase, and Sheridan has proven he can work on multiple projects across his expanding Yellowstone universe. The series should continue to keep a respectable audience if the writing and production remain at a high quality. Tulsa King premiers every Sunday on Paramount+.
Sylvester Stallone Loves a Good Sequel
Sylvester Stallone rose to prominence in the late '70s with his iconic role in Rocky. The film won 3 Oscars, including Best Picture, and a Best Writing nod as Stallone penned the script. The film skyrocketed his career, and it didn't take long for a follow-up to reach theaters. Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, and Rocky V were released over the next fifteen years, though that would be far from the franchise's end.
In 2006, Rocky Balboa was released in theaters acting as the final installment based on his character. However, a spinoff movie, Creed, was released in 2015 with Stallone reprising his role. The Creed movies have seen enormous success, with Michael B. Jordan leading the way. Creed II arrived in 2018, with the third film set to premiere on March 3, 2023.
Tulsa King creator Taylor Sheridan also created the Yellowstone franchise, beginning with the initial series in 2018. Since then, 1883, a spinoff focused on the early days of the Dutton family was released on Paramount+. Another upcoming prequel, 1923, is set to debut this December, starring Harrison Ford. 6666, and 1883: The Bass Reeves Story are just a few more projects coming from Sheridan's creation.
Between Sheridan and Stallone, fans shouldn't be surprised with multiple seasons, spinoffs, and prequels centered around Tulsa King. But first, the series must find its audience to be successful.