Samuel L. Jackson is stepping into Taylor Sheridan’s TV empire. The Oscar-nominated actor is set to headline and executive produce NOLA King, a Tulsa King spinoff currently in development at Paramount+, sources confirm.
The project comes from Mayor of Kingstown showrunner Dave Erickson and will expand the Tulsa King universe the way Yellowstone grew into its own franchise. Jackson will first appear in the upcoming third season of Tulsa King—currently filming in Oklahoma and Atlanta—before launching the New Orleans-based spinoff.
While plot details are still being kept under wraps, Jackson is said to play Russell Lee Washington Jr., a figure rooted in the criminal underworld, much like Sylvester Stallone’s Dwight “The General” Manfredi. He and Dwight will go head-to-head in Tulsa King Season 3 before Washington makes his way to New Orleans to establish his own empire.
Production on NOLA King is expected to begin in February 2026.
Sheridan, who continues to grow his slate under MTV Entertainment and 101 Studios, will executive produce alongside Erickson, David C. Glasser, and Jackson. The show reportedly stemmed from an idea by Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, who wanted to further expand the Tulsa King universe.
Jackson’s casting marks another major get for Sheridan, whose shows have attracted a long list of A-listers including Kevin Costner, Jeremy Renner, Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, Billy Bob Thornton, David Oyelowo, and of course, Stallone.
Tulsa King has become one of Paramount+’s biggest success stories. The Season 2 premiere set a new record for the streamer with 21.1 million global viewers. Along with Lioness and Landman, it helped Paramount+ secure three of the top 10 most-watched original streaming series in the U.S. during Q4, per Nielsen.
Jackson is no stranger to the small screen. He recently starred in Peacock’s Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist and Apple TV+’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. With more than 150 film credits under his belt, including Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable, Shaft, and his long-running turn as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jackson remains one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. In 2023, the Guinness Book of World Records named him the highest-grossing actor of all time with a global box office of more than $7 billion.
Tulsa King was created by Sheridan, with Stallone also serving as executive producer. Erickson now leads the show’s third season as showrunner while continuing his role on Mayor of Kingstown. He will transition to NOLA King following the upcoming season.
No official release date has been announced for NOLA King, but all signs point to another high-stakes, star-driven series in Sheridan’s ever-expanding universe.