When does “Tulsa King” season 3 come out? All about Sylvester Stallone’s return — and Samuel L. Jackson’s exciting role

Key Points

• Paramount+ hit crime series Tulsa King will return for its third season in September.

• Sylvester Stallone will star as Dwight Manfredi alongside returning cast members Frank Grillo, Neal McDonough, and Dana Delany.

• New cast members include Robert Patrick, Kevin Pollak, and Samuel L. Jackson.

It’s good to be king, even in Tulsa.

The Paramount+ series Tulsa King debuted with fanfare in 2022, marking Sylvester Stallone’s first leading role in a scripted series. Furthermore, it comes from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, who is also responsible for hit series like Mayor of Kingstown (2021–present), Lioness (2023–present), and Landman (2024–present).

The series, which sees Stallone’s Mafia caporegime set up a criminal enterprise in Tulsa, has proven to be a huge hit for Paramount+, ranking as the streamer’s No. 1 original series globally in 2024.

Season 2 wrapped last November on one heck of a cliffhanger, and fans of Stallone’s antihero Dwight Manfredi have been chomping at the bit for updates on the hulking crime boss.

Here’s everything we know about Tulsa King season 3’s release date, cast, story, and more.  

Will there be a Tulsa King season 3?

Yes. The series was renewed for a third season by Paramount+ in March 2025.

What happened at the end of Tulsa King season 2?

Tulsa King‘s second season ended up a major cliffhanger, with Stallone’s Dwight being kidnapped from his bed by masked assailants. The infiltrators throw a bag over his head and restrain him with zip-ties instead of cuffs. Is it the FBI, which we know is investigating him? Or another shady criminal outfit?

After being taken to a warehouse and thrown beneath interrogation lights, a cryptic voice tells Dwight, “You work for us now.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Dwight was able to corrupt oil tycoon Cal Thresher (Neal McDonough), wrestling Thresher’s weed farm away and encouraging him to return to his oil empire.

Tensions also arose between two other crime family bosses: “Chickie” Invernizzi (Domenick Lombardozzi) and Bill Bevilaqua (Frank Grillo). The pair approached Dwight about franchising his Tulsa model and proposed a three-way split. But Bevilaqua, fed up with Chickie’s bulldozing ways, shoots Chickie in the head, proposing a 50/50 deal with Dwight, who accepts.

What is Tulsa King season 3 about?

“In season three, as Dwight’s empire expands, so do his enemies and the risks to his crew,” reads the official logline. “Now, he faces his most dangerous adversaries in Tulsa yet: the Dunmires, a powerful old-money family that doesn’t play by old-world rules, forcing Dwight to fight for everything he’s built and protect his family.”

In an Instagram video shared on May 3, Stallone teased “devious” happenings in season 3 alongside Grillo.

“This is my friend, Frank Grillo,” says Stallone in the clip, which looks to be taken on set. “We’re about to do something a little devious in the name of commerce. It’s not like we’re thieves, right? We’re actually trying to retrieve what belongs to us. I have a feeling it’s going to go sideways.”

Tulsa King costar Garrett Hedlund, who plays Dwight’s associate Mitch “The Stick” Keller, told USA Today in July that the uneasy partnership between Dwight and Bevilaqua is “the spine of the whole season,” adding, “Sometimes to take over the whole world, two kings have to come together.”

Hedlund added that the upcoming episodes will make up “our darkest season yet,” saying, “We’re keeping the stakes high. At the end of the day, most of these guys are – or have been, or will be – killers. That makes for interesting drama.”

Who’s returning for Tulsa King season 3?

In addition to Stallone and Grillo, season 3 will see the return of main cast members Hedlund (Mitch), Martin Starr (Bodhi), Jay Will (Tyson), Dana Delany (Margaret), Annabella Sciorra (Joanne), and Vincent Piazza (Vince).

Also returning? McDonough’s Thresher. Though it seemed as if his story was finished in the season 2 finale, the actor confirmed to Collider that his character becomes the governor of Oklahoma. Is that a good thing or a bad thing for Dwight and his crew? Only time will tell.

A handful of supporting actors will also be promoted to series regulars in season 3, including Chris Caldovino (Goodie), McKenna Quigley Harrington (Grace), and professional wrestler Mike “Ca$h Flo” Walden (Bigfoot).

All three are part of Dwight’s crew. But we’re curious about Caldovino’s Goodie, as Dwight may or may not have been complicit in the murder of Chickie, Goodie’s boss.

Who’s joining the Tulsa King season 3 cast?

There are several exciting new additions to the Tulsa King season 3 cast, especially for fans of tough-talking character actors.

One of them is Robert Patrick, the steely-eyed star who first turned heads as Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s T-1000. He recently played baddies on shows like Peacemaker (2022) and Reacher (2023–2024).

Patrick will play Jeremiah Dunmire, head of the moneyed Dunmires, who made their fortune in the liquor business. Hedlund told USA Today that Patrick brings “command and authority that hasn’t been seen in a Tulsa King nemesis.”

Another new cast member is Kevin Pollak of The Usual Suspects (1995), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023). Pollak will play a key role as Special Agent Musso, who’s described in a press release as an “FBI agent who has an axe to grind.”

Also joining the season 3 cast is Beau Knapp (SEAL Team), who plays Dunmire’s son, Cole. The character is described as “a trust fund country boy with crazy in his eyes.”

One potential new adversary (or ally) for Dwight is Quiet Ray Renzetti, a New York mob boss. Renzetti is played by James Russo, who previously appeared in crime flicks like Donnie Brasco (1997), Public Enemies (2009), and Black Mass (2015).

Also factoring into the Dunmires’ story is Cleo Montague, played by Bella Heathcote, who’s appeared in projects such as The Neon Demon (2016) and The Man in the High Castle (2016–2018). Cleo is described as “a Tulsa native born and raised, and the daughter of a distillery owner.”

Hedlund told USA Today that Cleo and Mitch will cross paths. “If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘It takes two to toxic,’ well, get ready,” he said.

Is Samuel L. Jackson in Tulsa King season 3?

Yes, Samuel L. Jackson will appear in Tulsa King season 3 as Russell Lee Washington Jr., an old associate of Dwight’s.

As Entertainment Weekly reported in June, Jackson’s appearance will serve to tee up a new Paramount+ series about the character called NOLA King. As its title implies, the show will find Russell setting up his own criminal enterprise in New Orleans.

“Samuel L. Jackson is a gift to the series,” Hedlund told USA Today. “He and Sly (Stallone) radiate as men who are absolutely genuine, but who are not to be messed with. And this season will give a taste of what (Jackson) is going to do in NOLA King.”

Is there a Tulsa King season 3 release date?

Tulsa King season 3 premieres on Sunday, Sept. 21.

Where can I watch Tulsa King?

Tulsa King seasons 1 and 2 are currently available to stream on Paramount+.

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