First look at Samuel L Jackson in Tulsa King spin-off

By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

A first-look image has been released of Hollywood actor Samuel L Jackson in the new Tulsa King spin-off series.

Nola King follows Jackson’s character, Russell Lee Washington Jr, who is tasked with taking out Sylvester Stallone’s Dwight Manfredi.

Manfredi, or “the General” is the main character of Tulsa King, a mafia boss who befriended Jackson’s character years earlier while they were both in prison.

A photo from the production shows the two characters sitting at a table that has a bottle of alcohol on it and a reserved sign.

Stallone, 79, said: “Chris McCarthy (co-chief executive of Paramount Global) came to me with a game-changing idea: to elevate my show beyond a mob boss series, creating a dynamic, family-driven franchise.

“I was immediately on board. Sam Jackson is the only choice to anchor this new adventure in Nola and (producer) David Glasser and 101 are the perfect partner to bring it to life.”

Mr McCarthy said: “Samuel L Jackson brings unparalleled presence and global appeal, making him the perfect choice to maximise the momentum of one of our biggest hits and transform it into a hit franchise.

“Building on the breakout success of Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King, audiences will now experience the full force of Jackson’s dynamic, layered performance, supercharging one of Paramount+’s flagship series.”

David C Glasser, chief executive of entertainment company 101 Studios, said: “Partnering with Paramount has been such a rich experience. (Creator) Taylor (Sheridan) had the brilliant idea to drop Sylvester Stallone in the middle of Tulsa and it has been everything we have wanted and more.

“The success of this show has now led us to another icon. I cannot wait to see what Sam brings to this world.”

Jackson, 76, has starred in films including Django (2012), The Hateful Eight (2015), Jurassic Park (1993) and The Avengers (2012).

One of his most acclaimed roles was playing hitman Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 hit crime film Pulp Fiction.

Tulsa King is a Paramount+ series that follows Stallone’s character, Dwight “the General” Manfredi, as he is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to begin a new crime enterprise after being released from prison in New York.

Jackson’s character will be introduced in the third series of Tulsa King, to premiere in September.

Stallone and Jackson were both executive producers on Nola King.