| Tulsa King | |
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Tulsa King Title card
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| Genre |
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| Created by | Taylor Sheridan |
| Showrunner | Terence Winter |
| Starring |
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| Theme music composer |
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| Opening theme | Tulsa King (Official Theme) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 36–43 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Paramount+ |
| Release | November 13, 2022 (2022-11-13) – present (present) |
Tulsa King is an American comedy and crime-drama television series that was created by Taylor Sheridan for the online video-streaming platform Paramount+. The series stars Sylvester Stallone in his first leading role in a scripted television series. Stallone portrays Dwight "The General" Manfredi, a Mafia capo who has been recently released from prison and is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he begins to set up a criminal organization. The series also stars Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, A. C. Peterson, Garrett Hedlund and Dana Delany. After receiving an early premiere in theaters on October 29, 2022, the series was released on Paramount+ from November 13 to January 8, 2023. Shortly after premiering, Tulsa King was renewed for a second season, which is due to begin releasing on September 15, 2024.
Terence Winter was the showrunner for the first season but due to differences with Sheridan, he was demoted to head writer before the second. Director Craig Zisk produced the second season. The first season was largely filmed in Oklahoma City, but primary production on the second season relocated to Atlanta after the cast and crew complained. Annabella Sciorra, Tatiana Zappardino, Frank Grillo and Neal McDonough are set to join the second-season cast. The series provided a television ratings boost during its broadcast on Paramount Network, and a subscription boost on Paramount+. Critics gave Tulsa King generally positive reviews; many praised Stallone's performance but some critics criticized the dialogue and overall story arc. In 2023, Tulsa King was nominated for a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award.
Dwight "The General" Manfredi is a Mafia capo from New York City who has just finished serving a 25-year prison sentence. Upon release, Dwight's boss sends him to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to establish criminal operations there. Dwinght, who does not know anyone in the area, seeks a new crew to help him establish his empire. He first meets Tyson Mitchell, whom he recruits as his driver, and acquires financing by threatening and later befriending Lawrence "Bodhi" Geigerman, the owner of a local dispensary. While attempting to grow his enterprise, Dwight gains many more associates, including Mitch Keller, who owns a bar Dwight frequents. Dwight initially remains in contact with the syndicate in New York but later begins to despise them. Dwight and his crew become enemies with the outlaw biker gang The Black Macadams. During this time, Dwight experiences personal and family problems as a result of his actions. Stacy Beale, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE; commonly known as AFT) agent and Dwight's love interest, investigates Dwight's actions and those of his crew.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 9 | November 13, 2022 (2022-11-13) | January 8, 2023 (2023-01-08) | |
| 2 | 10[1] | September 15, 2024 (2024-09-15)[2] | TBA | |
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Go West, Old Man" | Allen Coulter | Teleplay by : Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter Story by : Taylor Sheridan | November 13, 2022 (2022 -11-13)[a] | |
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Dwight Manfredi is released from prison 25 years after committing a murder for New York's Invernizzi crime family. Despite refusing to testify against boss Pete "The Rock", Invernizzi and his son Don Charles "Chickie", Dwight is ordered to Tulsa because the family has no prospects for him in New York. Dwight is furious and punches one of Chickie's men, Vince. Arriving in Tulsa, Dwight hires his taxi driver Tyson as his associate. Upon learning marijuana is legally sold at a local dispensary, Dwight offers the owner Lawrence "Bodhi" Geigerman "protection". As Dwight makes contacts in Tulsa and establishes his base of operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) learns of his presence and issues a bulletin to all federal agents in Tulsa, including Stacy Beale, an ATF agent who had an anonymous one-night stand with Dwight.
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| 2 | 2 | "Center of the Universe" | Allen Coulter | Terence Winter & Joseph Riccobene | November 20, 2022 (2022 -11-20) | |
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Tyson persuades Dwight to get a new drivers' license so he can obtain a debit card for expenses. Dwight then visits Bodhi and insists on meeting with his supplier Jimmy. After educating himself on the intricacies of legalized marijuana, Dwight cuts a more-favorable deal for better product with Jimmy. Tyson's father Mark grows concerned Tyson is throwing away any chance of a future by associating with Dwight. Chickie agrees to Vince's request for a large cash gift from Dwight to end their disagreement. Stacy visits Dwight to reveal her employer; Dwight insists she has nothing to fear from him. A ranch hand named Armand discovers Dwight's presence and begins planning to take action against him. Dwight uses his debit card to pay for information about his estranged daughter Tina; he tries to call her, but she refuses to talk to Dwight after he estranged her 18 years earlier.
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| 3 | 3 | "Caprice" | Ben Richardson | Regina Corrado | November 27, 2022 (2022 -11-27) | |
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Stacy is assigned to investigate The Black Macadams, a local biker gang, after a member dies by suicide in his house using explosives. Armand tries to shoot Dwight during Dwight's driving test; Dwight survives but the experience persuades him to end his relationship with Tyson. Tyson, who is infatuated with his new gangster lifestyle, rebuffs Dwight and insists on working as his right-hand man. Dwight involves Bodhi and Mitch in a scheme to sell nitrous oxide as a party drug during an upcoming Tulsa music festival; Dwight persuades Mitch to use his bar as a front to obtain supplies of the gas without suspicion. Stacy reconnects with Dwight after they share dinner, and they have sex together. Dwight conducts his own investigation, using his contacts to identify Armand as the shooter. He buys a gun, but while preparing to kill Armand at his home, Dwight hesitates after seeing Armand's young son run out to hug him.
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| 4 | 4 | "Visitation Place" | Ben Semanoff | Dave Flebotte | December 4, 2022 (2022 -12-04) | |
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Dwight waits until Armand is alone and then questions him. When Armand reveals the Invernizzi family tried to have Dwight killed during his prison sentence, Dwight spares him and instead demands a monthly cut of Armand's income. Dwight's plan to sell nitrous oxide hits a setback when Black Macadam bikers, who are selling drugs at the same festival, assault Dwight's crew and steal the gas tanks. To resolve the problem, Dwight and his men, accompanied by Mark, surprise the bikers as they are packing up for the night, assault them with baseball bats, and take back the gas tanks and their stolen money. Tyson and his father reconcile, but Tyson finds himself divided between his family and his loyalty to Dwight. Armand assaults a rude neighbor and decides not to move out of Tulsa. Stacy has sex with a handsome stranger who buys her a drink. Dwight, with the help of his sister Joanne, says goodbye to his dying younger brother Joey.
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| 5 | 5 | "Token Joe" | Ben Semanoff | Joseph Riccobene | December 11, 2022 (2022 -12-11) | |
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Dwight flies to Brooklyn to attend Joey's funeral; while there, he takes the opportunity to speak with Tina. Tina still refuses to forgive her father, and says during his time in prison, she was raped by Nico, one of Chickie's men, despite Pete swearing to protect her when Dwight was convicted. An enraged Dwight beats Nico to death in front of Chickie and Vince. Caolan Waltrip, Black Macadam's sergeant-at-arms, has corrupt state police officers on his payroll arrest Tyson and confiscate his phone. After Tyson is coerced into unlocking his phone, the bikers learn about Dwight's connection to Bodhi and force him to reveal Mitch is fronting his drug racket. When the officers attempt to intimidate Mitch, Mitch compels them to release Bodhi and leave by saying his bar is on Cherokee tribal land and they have no jurisdiction. Armand's colleague Roxy warns Armand to stop encroaching on Waltrip's turf.
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| 6 | 6 | "Stable" | Guy Ferland | Dave Flebotte | December 18, 2022 (2022 -12-18) | |
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Dwight again meets with his daughter before flying back to Tulsa. On his return, he finds Tyson has been arrested and that Bodhi is missing. Waltrip meets with Dwight and demands a cut of his business, but Dwight refuses. Stacy warns Dwight about his activities and that the FBI is getting involved. The Invernizzi family, mainly Chickie, are split on how to handle Dwight. Pete insists on having his consigliere visit Tulsa to calm the situation so instead, Chickie instead assaults Tina's husband Emory. Federal agents shut Bodhi's shop, but Bodhi refuses to betray Dwight. After learning Pilot, the white horse Bodhi has grown fond of will be euthanized, Dwight buys Pilot and hires ex-waitress Spencer to take care of him. Waltrip has Roxy's boyfriend Carson Pike shoot up Mitch's bar; Dwight and Mitch return fire and Pike is killed. Mitch agrees to accept Dwight as a business partner.
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| 7 | 7 | "Warr Acres" | Guy Ferland | Terence Winter & Joseph Riccobene | December 25, 2022 (2022 -12-25) | |
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Dwight and Mitch send Pike's bullet-hole-ridden jacket to The Black Macadams. In New York, Pete is recovering and is back at home with Chickie, who does not seem happy. Roxy calls Stacy about Pike and agrees to meet Stacy to talk about the incident. Roxy is revealed to be an informant for the ATF. Pete becomes angry when he hears Dwight gave his ring to Tyson and that Tina is still getting mysterious calls. Waltrip captures Roxy, discovers her secret and strangles her. Pete ignores Chickie while Chickie is bathing him; in a fit of rage, Chickie drowns Pete and becomes the new boss of the family. Dwight is distressed by the news of Pete's death.
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| 8 | 8 | "Adobe Walls" | Lodge Kerrigan | Terence Winter & Tom Sierchio | January 1, 2023 (2023 -01-01) | |
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With the increasing threat of The Black Macadams, Dwight and Mitch train their inexperienced men to shoot. Stacy visits Waltrip but fails to implicate him in Roxy's murder. Jimmy agrees to become a business partner with Dwight and Mitch to open a new casino. Chickie decides to kill Dwight and his family, called him to pretend to make amends and says they will visit him very soon. When Stacy again meets Dwight, Waltrip and a henchman shoot at them, wounding Stacy. Police arrive and Dwight is detained for questioning.
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| 9 | 9 | "Happy Trails" | Lodge Kerrigan | Terence Winter | January 8, 2023 (2023 -01-08) | |
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In a flashback from 1997, Chickie, Vince and Armand are torturing Ripple, a member of their family. Dwight arrives and shoots Ripple to prevent him from dying in a fire, and is arrested. In the present, as amends, Dwight gives Stacy a flash drive that accesses a million-dollar bank account. Chickie, Vince and Goodie go to Tulsa, where Dwight surprises them and demands they leave, with the exception of Goodie, who joins Dwight's crew. Bodhi hacks into Waltrip's computer and empties his bank accounts. Two gangs fight and Dwight kills Waltrip. Three months later, the casino is open, Dwight reconciles with Tina and Stacy is reinstated to the ATF. Stacy arrests Dwight for bribery with the flash drive as evidence.
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| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by [5] | Original release date [6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | TBA | TBA | Taylor Elmore and Terence Winter & Sylvester Stallone | September 15, 2024 (2024-09-15)[7] |
| 11 | 2 | TBA | TBA | Stephen Scaia and Terence Winter | September 22, 2024 (2024-09-22) |
| 12 | 3 | TBA | TBA | Terence Winter & Joseph Riccobene | September 29, 2024 (2024-09-29) |
| 13 | 4 | TBA | TBA | Terence Winter & Dave Flebotte | October 6, 2024 (2024-10-06) |
| 14 | 5 | TBA | TBA | William Schmidt | October 13, 2024 (2024-10-13) |
| 15 | 6 | TBA | TBA | Terence Winter | October 20, 2024 (2024-10-20) |
| 16 | 7 | TBA | TBA | Dave Flebott | October 27, 2024 (2024-10-27) |
| 17 | 8 | TBA | TBA | William Schmidt & Terence Winter | November 3, 2024 (2024-11-03) |
On December 6, 2021, it was reported Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter were developing a series titled Kansas City for the digital streaming platform Paramount+.[8] The series was created by Sheridan, who had signed a multi-year contract with ViacomCBS to create new series during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] The series would be centered around Sal, an Italian-American mobster from New York City who is tasked with returning the mafia to Kansas City, Missouri.[10] Sheridan, Winter and series-star Sylvester Stallone were announced as executive producers alongside Braden Aftergood from Stallone's banner Balboa Productions; and David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari from the production company 101 Studios.[11] Winter also served as showrunner on the series, which MTV Entertainment Studios produced.[12]
Sheridan wrote the pilot episode in a week.[13] Winter moved the show's setting to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to give the characters a more-remote setting.[14] In 2022, Deadline Hollywood stated the show was given a straight-to-series order under the title Tulsa King to reflect the change in location.[15] Stallone involved himself in several aspects of the production. Winter noted: "With Stallone, you're getting a writer, a director, a producer, an editor"; and Glasser said Stallone was "heavily involved in the editing process".[16]
On November 30, 2022, Tulsa King was renewed for a second season.[17] The following February, it was announced Winter had resigned as showrunner due to "creative differences"; a new showrunner was sought but Winter would remain as an executive producer of the show.[18] It was later revealed Sheridan had dismissed Winter because of differences in writing style; Sheridan stated he preferred character-driven plots whereas Winter preferred plot-driven characters.[19] In February 2024, Winter was re-hired as a writer after an opening in his schedule due to delays caused by the 2023 Writers' Guild of America strike.[20] In his modified position, Winter is the series' head writer and works outside Sheridan's direct supervision.[21][22] Sheridan chose not to use a conventional showrunner for the second season and instead decided to hire a director and executive producer to oversee day-to-day production.[23] It was announced Craig Zisk would fill this role.[24]
At the time the series was announced, Sylvester Stallone was participating in negotiations to star as Tulsa King's lead character Sal in his scripted television debut.[11] Stallone's character was later renamed Dwight "The General" Manfredi.[25] Stallone stated filming television was more difficult and time-consuming than the films in which he had starred.[26] On March 24, 2022, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza and Jay Will were added to the cast; Casella, Lombardozzi and Piazza portray members of the Invernizzi family crime syndicate while Will stars as a recent college graduate who becomes a member of Dwight's crew.[25] In May, A. C. Peterson, Andrea Savage, Garrett Hedlund and Martin Starr were reported to be starring in the series;[27][28][29][30] they were followed in July by Dana Delany[31] and Annabella Sciorra in August.[32] Miles Mussenden also stars in the series.[33] Stallone's daughter Scarlet appears in the series as Spencer, a barista and stable hand who is recruited to work with Dwight.[34][35] Scarlet was originally considered for the role of Stallone's on-screen daughter but was considered too young for the role,[34] which instead went to Tatiana Zappardino.[36] Additional casting for minor characters and background actors occurred in May 2022.[37]
Before production of the second season, Sciorra and Zappardino were promoted to the main cast.[38] Frank Grillo also joined the main cast, starring as Bill Bevilaqua, a mobster from Kansas City.[39] On May 1, 2024, it was reported Neal McDonough would appear as Cal Thresher.[40] Two days later, Rich Ting was cast in the recurring role of Jackie Ming.[41] Casting for additional extras in the second season occurred in June 2024.[42]
During filming for the second season, Stallone and an unnamed director were accused of making disparaging remarks about background extras.[43][44] Stallone was allegedly heard calling certain background actors "ugly", "tub of lard" and "fat guy with a cane".[45] Stallone also suggested the production should instead cast "pretty young girls to be around me".[46] The Atlanta-based casting agency Rose Locke & CL Casting, which had been responsible for hiring extras, resigned from the production soon after.[47] Zisk responded to the comments through TMZ by denying the statements were made and stating the casting agency had hired extras who were older than the requested age range.[48][49] CNN reported Paramount was investigating the allegations and that no formal complaints had been filed.[50] The actors' labor union SAG-AFTRA also responded to the allegations, saying its scope does not include background actors in Atlanta but that it would provide any requested guidance; it also issued a statement condemning such comments toward any actor.[51] Thomas Mooneyham, a background actor on the series, stated he believed the comments were about him after he and another extra were replaced with younger people.[52] Stallone did not respond to the allegations.[53]
The series' costume designer Suzanne McCabe based many outfits on the Gambino crime family and Franzese Crew, as well as photographs from newspaper clippings in the 1980s; she cited John Gotti as an inspiration.[54] McCabe also stated she tried to mostly use monochromatic colors for the show's costumes, using dark colors for the New York City-filmed scenes and softer colors for scenes in Oklahoma to represent that state's red soil.[54] Sylvester Stallone was allowed to pick many elements of his own costumes, including bolo ties, jewelry and shoes.[54] Production designer Todd Jeffery used a mix of soundstages and on-location filming for Tulsa King.[55] The sets for "The Higher Plane" dispensary featured in the series was created in a former Texaco gas station.[55] Mirrors were used in a scene that was filmed in a strip club to make the space appear larger.[55] Location manager Patrick Mignanom was tasked with finding a dilapidated structure whose owner would be content with having it blown up.[55] Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi composed Tulsa King's theme song.[56]
Principal photography occurred over six months in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Bethany, concluding on August 31, 2022.[57][58] Some filming occurred at Tulsa International Airport on March 29, 2022.[59] Additional locations used in Tulsa include Center of the Universe and the Mayo Hotel.[60] Other scenes were filmed on-location in Brooklyn, New York.[61] The series interior scenes and production offices were housed at Prairie Surf Studios.[62] Additional photography wrapped by October.[57] Filming in Oklahoma boosted the state's economy by an estimated $56 million.[63]
It was later reported the show' second season would not be filmed in Oklahoma due to costs, and complaints from the cast and crew, who did not like the extreme temperatures there.[64] Filming on the second season is occurring in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburb Norcross, using Eagle Rock Studios for sound stages.[65] Filming began on April 1, 2024, and is expected to wrap on July 31.[63] Some filming also took place in Gainesville, Georgia.[66]Asecond unit filmed b-roll scenes in Tulsa in mid-June 2024.[67]
The series premiere episode received an early promotional screening along with the fifth season premiere of YellowstoneinAMC Theatres on October 29–30, 2022.[68][69] It then began its regular weekly release schedule on Paramount+ beginning on November 13.[70] Tulsa King also received linear broadcasts of its first two episodes on Paramount Network on November 20 and 27, serving as a lead-out for episodes of Yellowstone.[71] The first season concluded on January 8, 2023.[72] In Japan, the series launched within a Paramount+ hub on the streaming service Wowow.[73] Season one episodes are set to receive a further linear broadcast on CBS beginning July 14, 2024.[74] The second season will then begin releasing in the United States and Canada on September 15, and elsewhere internationally on September 16.[75]
The first season received a home media release on DVD and Blu-ray on June 6, 2023; an alternative steelbook Blu-ray release accompanied the main release.[76]
| Tulsa King: Season One | |||||
| Set details | Special features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| DVD release dates | |||||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| June 6, 2023[77] | June 5, 2023[78] | N/A | |||
| Blu-ray release dates | |||||
| Region A | Region B | ||||
| June 6, 2023[77] | June 5, 2023[79] | ||||
OnParamount+, Tulsa KingisTaylor Sheridan's fourth most-watched series[80] with 3.36 billion minutes viewed.[81] In its first broadcast on Paramount Network, the series brought in 3.7 million viewers beating Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon as "cable's highest-rated series debut" in 2022.[82] It is also credited with the "biggest new sign-up day in [Paramount+] history."[83]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 65/100[84] |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 79%[85] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | B-[86] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |   [87] |
| The Daily Telegraph |  [88] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[89] |
| The Guardian | [90] |
| IndieWire | B-[91] |
| USA Today | [92] |
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 47 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Tulsa King's stale comedy sometimes feels like ordering spaghetti with marinara and instead getting egg noodles and ketchup, but Sylvester Stallone still commands the screen with his swaggering charm."[85] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[84] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly described the series as "Grumpy Old Grand Theft Auto".[89] CNN Entertainment's Brian Lowery describes the series as an "odd mix of attributes" but applauds the compliments the series use of time.[93] Reviewing for The Guardian, Lucy Mangan applauds the comedy aspect of the series, but fails to see it innovating further.[90] Los Angeles Times writer Robert Lloyd calls the series "likeable" commending its use of comedy and character focus.[94]
Tulsa King was often compared poorly to other series of Winter and Sheridan's, the latter of who was overseeing eight other series at the time it debuted. The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg writes Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter fail to have a strength in comedy writing, despite the series being primarily marketed as a comedy.[95] Fienberg goes on to state "the first two episodes definitely give the impression of being something that Sheridan, Paramount+'s golden goose at this point, gestated between work on 15 different Yellowstone sequels and prequels".[95]
One of the writers, Terence Winter, has The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire on his CV, but this show is to The Sopranos what Paw Patrol is to the works of David Attenborough.
— Anita Singh, The Daily Telegraph (November 11, 2022)[88]
Writing for the NPR talk show Fresh Air, David Bianculli compares the formula of the series to that of Yellowstone's and notes the "sense of time passing and the importance of family."[96] Stephan Lee with The Wrap says there's a "distinct straight-to-DVD quality to Tulsa King" but suggests that the series stands on its own and is only bad when compared to Sheridan's and Winter's other works.[97] Ben Travers of IndieWire furthers this suggestion by only describing Tulsa King as "less serious" and a "breath of fresh air" compared to the seriousness and consequences seen in Sheridan's other series.[91]
Stallone's acting received the highest praise from the series, although was still criticized by others for its lack of originality. Reviewing the first two episodes for Variety, Joshua Alston credits most of the series success to Sylvester Stallone stating ""Tulsa King" isn't a great show with him, but it would be far less interesting without him."[98] Richard Roper, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, opines that the series was written to Stallone's strengths.[87] The A.V. Club's Todd Lazarski further praises the acting of Stallone but describes the series as an "undercooked fish-out-of-water mob story".[86] USA Today writer Kelly Lawler criticizes both the overall concept and Stallone saying that he's "probably the king of something, but it's certainly not Tulsa, Oklahoma" and writing "'Tulsa King' is bad 'Goodfellas' fan fiction."[92]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Super Awards (3rd) | Best Action Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Tulsa King | Nominated | [99][100] |
| Best Actor in an Action Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Sylvester Stallone | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (75th) | Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or a Variety Program | Freddie Poole | Nominated | [101] | |
| 2024 | Astra Television Awards (3rd) | Best Streaming Comedy Series | Tulsa King | Nominated | [102][103] |
| Best Actor in a Streaming Comedy Series | Sylvester Stallone | Nominated |
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Works by Taylor Sheridan
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