Sylvester Stallone is back as Dwight “The General” Manfredi for Tulsa King Season 2. The new installment of the crime-drama also features Neal McDonough as the series villain.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, writer Terence Winter explained how McDonough’s character comes across as likable even though he’s a bad guy. “He comes in under the radar. He’s got that smile. He’s probably halfway through threatening you before you realize that he’s threatening you,” he said. “Somebody pointed out to me that he doesn’t blink. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what it is.’ He’s got those laser blue eyes. He’s so intense.”
Winter went on to explain how he always wanted to collaborate with McDonough. “He was an actor I’ve been wanting to work with for years,” the writer said. “When you’re casting for somebody to go up against Sylvester Stallone, they got to have gravitas. Sometimes you see an actor go up against another actor, and you can see one of them shrinking. That’s not the case with Neal and Sly — and same thing with Frank Grillo, who also joins the cast again.”
Tulsa King Has Been A Hit For Paramount
Created by Taylor Sheridan, Tulsa King features Stallone in his first leading role in a scripted television show. The series focuses on Dwight Manfredi, a Mafia capo who is exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma after being released from prison. Once he arrives in the city, The General starts building a new criminal organization with an unlikely crew. Season 1 received generally positive reviews, with praise for Stallone’s performance. The show also boosted ratings for the Paramount Network.
Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, with Dwight being arrested for a second time. Winter recently detailed the challenges that this particular creative direction presented in an interview with CBR. “As a storyteller, I try to take things to the limit of conflict. What is the worst possible situation you could put your protagonist in, and now how do you undo [it]?” he said. “I’d be lying if I said I knew completely how I was going to get him out of that, but I thought it was a really great dilemma.”
Winter previously hinted that a New Orleans-based spinoff is in the works. “There’s been some talk of that. That’s in the talking stages,” the writer explained. Although he was unable to confirm the plot or character details, Winter expressed his excitement about the upcoming project which will also allow him to experience the food and culture of the city. “I’m just looking forward to getting those beignets in New Orleans,” he said.
New episodes of Tulsa King Season 2 stream every Sunday on Paramount+.