The world of Taylor Sheridan just got bigger with an exciting new project. The upcoming spinoff series starring Samuel L. Jackson originally planned as a New Orleans story has undergone a complete creative overhaul. The show now has a new name, a different location, and Sheridan himself is personally writing every single episode.
If you have been following Tulsa King on Paramount+, you already met Jackson’s character. Now that character is getting his own spotlight, but the journey to this point took some unexpected turns.
Goodbye NOLA King, Hello Frisco King
The project was first announced as NOLA King, with plans to set the story in New Orleans. The title made sense, and fans of Sheridan’s work were excited to see how the Louisiana backdrop would shape the crime drama. But according to multiple reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, the creative team decided to shake things up.
The show has now been officially retitled Frisco King. That “Frisco” refers to Frisco, Texas, a fast-growing city right outside of Dallas. This marks a major shift from the bayous of Louisiana to the sprawling suburbs and oil-money landscapes of North Texas. While one insider mentioned the story might briefly visit New Orleans, the bulk of the action will now take place in the Lone Star State.
This change makes sense when looking at where Sheridan has been building his production empire. He recently opened a massive production campus in Fort Worth, located right next to Frisco. The spinoff is scheduled to start filming there in late March.
Taylor Sheridan Takes Full Control
Perhaps the biggest news for fans of the franchise is who is writing the show. Originally, Dave Erickson was attached to write the pilot and serve as showrunner. Erickson, who worked on Mayor of Kingstown, stepped away from the project back in July 2025.
With Erickson gone, Sheridan has stepped in a big way. Instead of just overseeing the project, he is now writing all eight episodes of the first season himself. This is significant. Sheridan is the mastermind behind the entire Yellowstone universe and has written every episode of hits like 1883, 1923, and Lioness. However, on the original Tulsa King, he was only credited as a co-writer on the pilot. For Frisco King, he is going all in.
“We are honored to have Taylor Sheridan write the first season of Frisco King and bring to life Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic character,” said Matt Thunell, President of Paramount Television Studios. “Having him pen all episodes of the season with his singular voice will be a treat for fans of Tulsa King and audiences around the world.”
It is still unclear if the series will name a new showrunner. Some of Sheridan’s shows operate without one, and this might be the case here as well.
Who is Samuel L. Jackson Playing?
If you have not watched the third season of Tulsa King, you might be wondering who Jackson is playing. His character, Russell Lee Washington Jr. , was first introduced in the show’s third season, which premiered back in September 2025.
Here is the backstory: Russell met Sylvester Stallone‘s character, Dwight Manfredi, while they were serving time in federal prison. They served a ten-year stint together and built a friendship behind bars. But the criminal world is complicated. Russell is sent to Tulsa by the Renzetti crime family in New York with a clear mission: take out Dwight.
Things did not go as planned. Instead of killing Dwight, Russell was reportedly impressed by what Dwight built in Tulsa and started thinking about the idea of second chances. The spinoff will follow Russell as he heads back to his old stomping grounds—now Frisco—to reconnect with his past and likely step on some powerful toes while trying to take control.
A Powerhouse Production Team
With a name like Frisco King, the show brings together many heavy hitters behind the camera. Besides Sheridan and Jackson, Sylvester Stallone is also on board as an executive producer. Jackson’s wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, is also listed as an executive producer.
The series comes from Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios. Given that Tulsa King was a massive ratings hit—landing in Nielsen’s top 10 streaming originals chart for eleven weeks in a row in late 2025—it is no surprise the network wants to expand the universe quickly.
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What This Means for the Tulsa King Universe
This spinoff marks the first major expansion of the Tulsa King world, separate from the massive Yellowstone franchise. Sheridan is known for building interconnected stories, and bringing in someone of Jackson’s caliber shows the network is serious about keeping this going for a long time.
Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals at Paramount+, summed up the excitement.
“Taylor Sheridan continues to build worlds that attract some of the most iconic talent working today, and Frisco King is no exception,” Wiseman said. “Having Samuel L. Jackson step into this universe is a testament to the scale and ambition of the storytelling Taylor is crafting.”
As for when you can watch it? Production is just about to start, so a release date has not been announced yet. But with Sheridan writing every word and Jackson leading the cast, this Texas-sized crime story is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about new shows on the horizon.
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