Taylor Sheridan’s TV Empire Expands with Samuel L. Jackson Set to Star in “NOLA King”
In a move that further solidifies Taylor Sheridan’s status as a major player in the television industry, the creator of “Yellowstone” has announced that Samuel L. Jackson will star in “NOLA King,” a new Paramount+ spinoff of his hit series “Tulsa King.” According to Entertainment Now, Jackson will lead the new series, which is being developed as a spinoff of “Tulsa King” and is expected to start production in February.
The news was first reported by Deadline, which stated that Jackson will appear in multiple episodes of “Tulsa King” season 3 before headlining and executive producing “NOLA King.” The show, written by Dave Erickson, will follow Jackson’s character, Russell Lee Washington Jr., a figure from the criminal underworld who will first clash with Sylvester Stallone’s Dwight “The General” Manfredi in “Tulsa King” before shifting the action to New Orleans, where the spinoff will be set. Entertainment Now reports that production on “Tulsa King” season 3 has been underway for several months in Atlanta and Oklahoma, with Jackson expected to film his scenes in July.
The project is executive produced by Sheridan, Erickson, David C. Glasser of 101 Studios, and others under Sheridan’s overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios. Entertainment Now notes that the spinoff reportedly originated from an idea by Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, who was inspired by the success of Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” franchise and its multiple offshoots.
Sheridan has a history of landing major Hollywood stars for his projects, and bringing in Jackson is just the latest example of this. The creator of “Yellowstone” — which quietly became cable’s most-watched series — has a knack for crafting roles that attract serious star power. As Entertainment Now reports, Sheridan has already built “Yellowstone” into a franchise with spinoffs like “1883” and “1923,” the latter of which shattered ratings records on Paramount Network with more than 7.4 million viewers tuning in after just two days.
In an interview with Deadline, Sheridan shared how he convinced Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren to sign on to “1923” by pitching them in person — wine included. “I said, we’re going to do this thing together,” Sheridan recalled. “He goes, can I read a script? I said, you can when it’s written, but it ain’t written yet and you got to commit to it now… I poured about two bottles of wine down him. He said yes.” Entertainment Now notes that Sheridan’s other projects include “Mayor of Kingstown” with Jeremy Renner, “Tulsa King” with Stallone, and several other series like “Lioness” with Zoe Saldaña, “Bass Reeves” with David Oyelowo, and “Land Man” with Billy Bob Thornton.
Now, with Jackson leading “NOLA King,” Sheridan’s TV universe shows no signs of slowing down. As one insider told Deadline, this latest move will only deepen the connections between his various shows — much like the interconnected “Yellowstone” franchise. For fans, it’s another reason to stay tuned. As Entertainment Now reports, the expansion of Sheridan’s TV empire is a testament to his ability to attract Hollywood’s top talent and craft compelling stories that resonate with audiences.
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