Samuel L. Jackson Joins Taylor Sheridan Universe with ‘NOLA King’ Series on Paramount+

The Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson to lead and executive produce a New Orleans-based spinoff of Tulsa King, debuting after a guest arc in Season 3 of the Sylvester Stallone-led hit.

Samuel L. Jackson is stepping into the gritty, fast-expanding world of Tulsa King as the latest A-list addition to Taylor Sheridan’s acclaimed Paramount+ crime drama universe. According to exclusive sources from Deadline, Jackson will headline a new original series titled NOLA King, a spinoff of the Sylvester Stallone-starrer that has become one of Paramount+’s flagship titles.

NOLA King, created by Mayor of Kingstown showrunner Dave Erickson, will be executive produced by Jackson himself. Before launching into his own series, the Pulp Fiction legend will appear in multiple episodes of Tulsa King’s upcoming third season, currently filming in Atlanta and Oklahoma. Production for NOLA King is slated to begin in February 2026.

In the series, Jackson will portray Russell Lee Washington Jr., a character entrenched in the underworld much like Stallone’s Dwight “The General” Manfredi. After a dramatic showdown in Tulsa King, Washington makes his way to New Orleans, where he aims to carve out his own empire in the crime-laced crescent city. Specific plot details remain under wraps.

Erickson will write, showrun, and executive produce NOLA King, continuing his existing work on Mayor of Kingstown and transitioning from his duties on Tulsa King Season 3. The project will be produced by 101 Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios, with Taylor Sheridan and David C. Glasser also serving as executive producers.

According to insiders, NOLA King was conceived by Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, to replicate the franchise-building success of Yellowstone, which has spawned hit prequels like 1883 and 1923.

The original Tulsa King follows Dwight Manfredi (Stallone), a New York mafia capo who, after serving 25 years in prison, is banished to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he builds a new criminal syndicate from scratch. The series became a streaming juggernaut, setting a Paramount+ record with 21.1 million global viewers for its Season 2 premiere and ranking among the top U.S. original streaming shows in Q4 2024.

Jackson, widely known for his role as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starred in Peacock’s Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist and received an Honorary Academy Award in 2021. His addition continues Sheridan’s trend of attracting Hollywood powerhouses, joining a lineup that includes Kevin Costner, Jeremy Renner, Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, Helen Mirren, Harrison Ford, and Billy Bob Thornton.

With NOLA King, Paramount+ is set to expand its crime saga deeper into the American South, promising a fresh chapter of power struggles, underworld politics, and Southern noir.