Even as it seems most every other corner of the Taylor Sheridan universe gets the most attention, over time Tulsa King has quietly risen to be one of its best.
The Paramount+ series follows Dwight “The General” Manfredi, an exiled mobster building a new empire in Oklahoma, played by Sylvester Stallone, which first premiered in 2022. In its premiere season, it nearly reached the success of Yellowstone prequel 1883, with 3.36 billion minutes streamed. Behind the success of Tulsa King is Emmy-winning writer Terence Winter, who returned for Season 2, which premieres on September 15.
With Winter being so hands-on in carving this series, one of many questions that seem to have long been asked by fans is exactly how much involvement Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan still has with the series. Winter cast some light on that in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying after writing the original pilot, Sheridan stepped aside.
Taylor Sheridan’s Minimal Involvement
Winter claims Sheridan merely handed him the pilot and, for all intents and purposes, instructed him, “Take it and run with it.” Since that time, Sheridan hasn’t bothered with the future of the show in the slightest. “I’ve only met Taylor once in person, and that was two-and-a-half years ago,” Winter related. While Sheridan technically created the show, Winter maintains they’ve had little, if any, contact at all since that time, while Sheridan worked on several other projects.
Though Sheridan is busy between Yellowstone and several of its spinoffs, Winter let audiences know that Tulsa King still held to Sheridan’s initial vision, even while infusing his own creativity into the show. The freedom he has had has enabled him to make this amalgam of humor and drama that defines the show and makes it so different from other Sheridan creations.
Adding to Sheridan’s influence, Winter hinted that bigger things could be in store for the universe, which is Tulsa King. He said discussions for a possible spinoff are underway-additionally raising excitement among the show’s fans. This early-stage spinoff could take Tulsa King into some new territory, both geographically and narratively. The spinoff series hasn’t been officially announced at this time, but the potential success of Season 2 could help set the gears in motion much sooner.
As for Season 2, Winter said he’s looking forward to really diving into the characters. “We got to know these characters in Season 1. Now the fun starts. You’ll see relationships develop, and you’ll see them go through even more challenges,” he said. Adding Neal McDonough and Frank Grillo to the cast, the stakes are higher than ever-a wild continuation guaranteed.