Samuel L. Jackson is in the Taylor Sheridan universe. The Oscar-nominated actor has signed to lead Nora King, the upcoming Paramount+ crime series, developed as a spin-off of the hit mob drama Tulsa King, led by Sylvester Stallone.
As Deadline reported, the new show is set to expand Sheridan’s growing collection of interconnected dramas. Jackson lined up to appear in multiple episodes of Tulsa King’s third season before moving on to the lead role of his own series.
Jackson is said to play Russell Lee Washington Jr., a New Orleans-based criminal who crosses the road with Manfreddy of Stallone’s “General” in Tulsa King before taking the center stage. Like his counterpart, Washington Jr. is from the criminal underworld and is expected to become an important rival. His arc is poised to reflect the story of the Tulsa King’s exiled gangster. This time we’ll compete with the big easy background.
Jackson is reportedly scheduled to shoot a guest arc at Tulsa King in July, and production of Nora King is set to start in February.
Nora King is currently written and shown by Dave Erickson, who directed Tulsa King and co-created it in fear of the Walking Dead. He continues to be obsessed with Kingstown Mayor Jeremy Renner, taking the reins in this latest project backed by 101 studios and MTV Entertainment Studios. Taylor Sheridan and David C. Glasser will also be executive produced.
This new series marks a major addition to Sheridan’s television empire, including 1923 Yellowstone, Kingstown Mayor, Lioners and Landman. The idea for Nola King reportedly came from Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios president Christ McCarthy, who aims to reflect the spinoff strategy used in Yellowstone.
Jackson’s casting continues the high-temperamental tendencies of Sheridan’s main males. The Pulp Fiction and the Avengers star holds the Guinness world record for the best-selling actor at the global box office, with a cumulative take of over $7 billion. On IMDB alone, his extensive resume as an actor includes over 200 titles.
Nola King is the latest indication that Paramount+ is making a big bet on the Tulsa King franchise, which debuted in 2022 and became the platform’s biggest global premiere. The show’s sophomore season continued to be a powerful performer landing on Nielsen’s top 10 US streaming originals.
When Stallone’s Dwight builds his empire in Oklahoma, New Orleans appears to be next on the map. This time, Jackson has set the law. These heavyweight confrontations should be some interesting viewings.
If it’s relatively new to this part of Sheridan’s universe, let’s take a look back at Tulsa King’s first season…
