Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King could be in jeopardy because of its relentless and demanding production schedule
Taylor Sheridan is one of the most trailblazing television creators of the current era, known for revitalizing the Western genre with the hit series Yellowstone. The series stars Kevin Costner as the patriarch of the Dutton family, who fight to protect their ancestral land from external foes. However, as the show’s fifth season is slated to return for its second half, Costner has seemingly exited the scene.
At the same time, Sheridan’s other hit series Tulsa King, which relies on the star power of Sylvester Stallone, could face s similar situation, for the same reasons as Costner’s exit from Yellowstone. Stallone has spoken about the difficult production process of the Sheridan-produced series and given the production’s relentless nature, Tulsa King could face a similar dilemma after its second season, and here is everything fans need to know in that regard.
Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King Could Face the Same Fate as Yellowstone
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone will return for the second part of its fifth and final season later this year. However, the series is expected to conclude without Kevin Costner, who has played the primary protagonist since the show’s conception. Costner reportedly exited the series due to scheduling conflicts and disagreements with the producers and is not expected to appear in the final episodes.
From Costner’s exit, it is evident that the production schedule of the Sheridan-produced series is to be blamed for the lead actor’s untimely exit. Meanwhile, Sylvester Stallone leads Sheridan’s Tulsa King, which features the actor as Mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi. In the past, Stallone has also spoken about the difficult production schedule of the series.
“It’s beyond tough. I can’t believe some people have done this for four, five or six seasons. It’s brutal, compared to filmmaking. I’ll never say, ‘This is a hard shoot’ again on a feature. It’s a vacation compared to this! It really is.”
Stallone made the above statement in an interview with Variety in November 2022, ahead of the show’s premiere. At the time, Stallone cast doubt on returning for a second season, particularly because of the show’s production schedule and location. He also expressed a desire to film the series closer to home.
Since then, the series has been renewed for a second season with Stallone expected to reprise his role. However, given Stallone’s difficult experience making the first season, the Rocky star could move on from the series if he faces the same issues in the second season.
Sylvester Stallone Exiting Tulsa King Could Spell End For the Series
Although Costner has seemingly exited Yellowstone, the series has spawned an expansive franchise with several spin-offs. Moreover, the series has an ensemble cast, which is expected to feature in the sequel series that is currently in development. On the other hand, Tulsa King heavily relies on Sylvester Stallone, whose presence is the primary draw for the series.
Given Stallone’s hesitance to commit a long-term future to the series and the show’s reliance on his star power, Tulsa King could end prematurely after the second season if Stallone decides to move on. However, at present, Stallone has not publicly expressed a desire to exit the series while the second season is expected to film away from Oklahoma. Since Stallone expressed a desire to film the series near his home in Palm Beach, the change of filming locations could be crucial in securing the actor’s commitment to future seasons.