Sylvester Stallone is synonymous with Philadelphia. His writing and performances as Philly’s own Rocky Balboa made the man an icon in and of the city. Stallone commissioned the classic Rocky statue, seen atop the 72-step entrance to the Philadelphia Art Museum throughout the film series, for the production of Rocky 3. After filming ended, Stallone gifted the prop to the city. Then-City Commerce Director Dick Doran gratefully accepted the gift following the conclusion of the production, and is cited as crediting Stallone with doing more for Philly’s image than “anyone since Benjamin Franklin.” The statue stood in that spot, by the grace of the city, until they moved it outside the Spectrum sports arena in 2006. And where is Stallone now, you may ask? Is he also now an ornament near the gates of the Spectrum sports arena? As Daniel Campbell wrote in The Wonder Years hit, Hoodie Weather, “Rocky’s in the deep south, I don’t think he’s coming back now,” and he was right. All hail Sylvester Stallone, the Tulsa King.
Tulsa King–no, not Joe Exotic, possibly the most famous Oklahoman ever–is Taylor Sheridan’s (Yellowstone) newest crime saga. His brand-new series, coming to streaming later in 2022, stars Sylvester Stallone, Dana Delany (Desperate Housewives), and Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy) alongside a host of familiar and fresh faces. Sheridan built his brand on telling small-town crime stories populated by loquacious casts of oddball characters including writing the screenplays for Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River. His penchant for dark drama reflects the high stakes of criminality and law enforcement. After pumping our three hit series in a row–Yellowstone, 1883, and Mayor of Kingstown–Tulsa King looks to add another hit to Sheridan’s killer list of credits. While Sheridan serves as an executive producer and writer for the show, Terence Winter (The Sopranos) is set as the showrunner for the series. For everything we know about Tulsa King, including the characters and the release date, check out the info below.
Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on November 9 to release updates
Is There A Trailer for Tulsa King?
Tulsa King’s teaser trailer paints the picture of a fish out of water. Sylvester Stallone plays Dwight Manfredi. Manfredi is an ex-New York mafia captain finally stretching his legs after a 25-year prison bid he served in service of the family. “The General,” isn’t welcomed back into the fold in New York–the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. Instead, he’s sent to establish a new base for the family in Oklahoma–where the winds come sweeping down the plane. In Tulsa, the capital city of Oklahoma, Manfredi fights to establish a presence strong enough to scare off friends and foes alike. We also got two more teasers for the series, the first on September 7 and the second on September 13. Check out one of the teasers below:
The full trailer for Tulsa King was broadcast on CBS on October 16, 2022, during the Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs game (the series was initially going to take place in the home city of the Chiefs but was later changed to the city in Oklahoma.
What is Tulsa King About?
The official synopsis from Paramount+ describes Tulsa King as:
Tulsa King’ follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters, to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
Who is Who in Tulsa King?
As previously stated, Stallone is Manfredi. Manfredi is a loyal, cunning capo capable of handling things personally, if necessary. Why he was incarcerated for 25 years, and his family’s antipathy towards him despite his loyalty are a few ingredients of mystery the series is sure to unravel. Stallone is rocking an Executive Producer credit alongside his leading role in the series. It’s the first time The Italian Stallion will front a TV series, but he’s always pushing into new territory as an artist. Whether acting, writing, directing, or painting– the 76-year-old Hollywood icon recently displayed several paintings in the Osthaus Museum in Hagen, Germany–Stallone continues to evolve after more than 50 years in the entertainment industry. Stallone recently starred in Samaritan from Julius Avery, a superhero movie in the vein of Unbreakable and Hancock. A new entry in The Expendables, simply titled The Expendables 4 from director Scott Waugh, is due out in September 2023, and it obviously boasts an unbelievable cast. Lastly, Sly will reprise his role as Stakar Ogord in James Gunns’ exceedingly anticipated, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Starring opposite Stallone is Dana Delany as Margaret. Margaret is a rancher and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society–which means she’s good with guns, folks. Delany is an Emmy Award-winning actress viewers might know from China Beach, Tombstone, or Desperate Housewives. She was also the voice of Lois Lane in Bruce Timm’s animated DC projects, as well as Bruce Wayne’s long-lost love, Andrea Beaumont, in what may still be the best Batman animated picture, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
Garrett Hedlund plays Mitch Keller in Tulsa King. Keller is a retired bull rider-turned-addict and an Oklahoma native. Whether he’s part of the crew or part of the problem, only time will tell. Hedlund broke out in the mid-2000s with performances in Troy, Friday Night Lights, and Four Brothers. He’s gone on to work with some of the most exciting big-budget visual artists alive including James Wan on Death Sentence, The Coen Brothers on Inside Llewyn Davis, and Joseph Kosinski on Tron: Legacy.
Andrea Savage shows her range in a non-comedic show as Stacy Beale in Tulsa King. Beale is an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. She’s moved from New York to Tulsa in her hunt for renegade militia organizations, which puts her on a steady collision course with the man himself, Sylvester Stallone. Savage is a hilarious comedic talent and an equally skilled voice actress with appearances across some of the funniest shows of the last 10 years including Bob’s Burgers, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The League, and Veep. She recently lent her voice to Beavis and Butt–Head Do the Universe, which is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Martin Starr (Silicon Valley), Domenick Lombardozzi (The Irishman), Nick Cenatiempo (The Irishman), Max Casella (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Robert Walker Branchaud (Hawkeye) are just a few others who round out Tulsa King’s plump cast.
When Was Tulsa King Filmed?
Filming on the series began in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 29, 2022. Stallone announced via Instagram that the series had wrapped production on its first season by the end of August.
How to Watch Tulsa King
Tulsa King is coming exclusive to Paramount+, and it’s scheduled to debut the first two episodes on November 13, 2022. Paramount+ is also the home of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, 1883, and Mayor of Kingstown.
The first episode of Tulsa King will be simulcast on the Paramount Network on Sunday, November 13 at 9 PM EST, following the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere.
For more info as November 13 and the release of Tulsa King looms, keep checking back with Collider.
