Tulsa King Season 5’s Biggest Series Change Yet Could Make Sylvester Stallone’s Show Unrecognizable

Sylvester Stallone’s hit crime drama Tulsa King is set to make a big change in season 5 that could end up making the entire series feel completely different. Tulsa King, which was created by Taylor Sheridan, has long been one of Paramount+’s best shows. By the time Tulsa King season 3 ended, it was one of the most-watched and most successful shows on the entire streaming service, and Tulsa King season 4 is already expected to premiere in late 2026.

When a show is as successful as Tulsa King has proven to be, they’ll often try not to change anything drastically. Tulsa King, for the most part, has done this. The vast majority of the cast of Tulsa King is still around, Dwight’s empire in Oklahoma is still growing, and the gang has defeated every enemy that has come at them so far. Season 4 seems on track to do the same, but the show also has a major behind-the-scenes change on the horizon.

In the past, Tulsa King has been able to weather behind-the-scenes changes and controversies fairly well. The show has switched showrunners several times, Taylor Sheridan left the project, and more. In fact, Tulsa King is doing better than ever, with a planned spinoff, Frisco King, also in development. A new report, however, has indicated that Tulsa King season 5 will have a huge change that could make the entire series unrecognizable.

Tulsa King Season 5 Is Reportedly Moving Production To New York

According to a new report, Tulsa King season 5 is moving filming and production to New York. Previously, Tulsa King season 1 was filmed onsite in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, while seasons 2, 3, and 4 were filmed in Georgia. While several scenes of previous Tulsa King seasons have been filmed in New York thanks to Dwight’s connection to New York mobsters, the bulk of filming and production took place in the South.

The decision to move Tulsa King from Georgia to New York was reportedly partially due to budgetary reasons and partially due to “storyline considerations.” As far as the budget goes, New York has recently improved its tax incentives for filming and production companies, and those tax breaks are likely better than the ones offered by the State of Georgia. It’s worth noting that Tulsa King originally left Oklahoma for Georgia partially due to tax breaks in the first place.

Tulsa King Season 5’s Plans Signal A Big Shift For Dwight & His Criminal Empire

Tulsa King season 5’s switch to filming in New York has some major implications for the show’s plot. As previously noted, part of the rationale for the change was “storyline considerations.” If the bulk of filming is moving to New York, those “storyline considerations” could mean that Dwight will return to New York in Tulsa King season 5. Nothing’s confirmed yet, but it seems the creators of the show have a plan to send Dwight home.

There are two likely scenarios that could send Dwight back to New York full-time. The first, and less likely, is his daughter, Tina Manfredi. Dwight and Tina’s relationship is very rocky following Tulsa King season 2’s finale, and Dwight may decide to try to patch things up with his estranged daughter. That doesn’t seem entirely likely, however, as Tina actress Tatiana Zappardino left the show for an entire season. She could, however, make a return, as nothing definitive befell Tina.

The most likely explanation for the relocation to New York is Dwight’s ties to the New York mob. Quiet Ray sent an assassin after Dwight, after all, and there’s still quite a score to settle there. Vince, as well, is making power plays among New York’s families, and Dwight could easily insert himself into those machinations. At this point, it seems like Tulsa King season 5 is preparing to have Dwight reckon with his past and possibly attempt to take over New York City.

Even with those explanations for the shift in venue, this would be a massive change for Tulsa King. Since the very beginning, Tulsa King has been about Dwight setting off on his own and creating a criminal empire in Oklahoma. The entire series is both a “fish out of water” story and a story about Dwight putting his past behind him and becoming his own man. The Tulsa setting was what set Tulsa King apart from other mob shows, and it seems the series is now abandoning that defining characteristic.

It will also be very strange to see more of New York than Tulsa. New York has always had an impact on the show, but the focus has been squarely on Tulsa since the start. Dwight only returns to New York sparingly, like when his brother died or when he had to meet with Quiet Ray. Tulsa King will also presumably have to dial back the focus on the other members of Dwight’s gang, and someone like Mitch or Goodie will have to stay in Oklahoma to run things while Dwight is in New York.

Everything fans know and love about Tulsa King is subject to change because of this decision. The Oklahoma setting, the family dynamics of Dwight and his crew, the B-plots surrounding supporting characters like Tyson and Bodhi, and even Dwight’s relationship with Margaret, could all be upended if he goes to New York. It’s far too soon to tell if this is a good or bad decision yet, but it certainly has the potential to make Tulsa King unrecognizable in comparison to its first four seasons.

Tulsa King’s Production Change Also Makes An Existing Problem Even Worse

Brian Douglas/Paramount+

The change in Tulsa King season 5’s filming location has major implications on the show, but it also makes a real-life problem even worse. The first season of Tulsa King was, as the title of the series suggests, primarily filmed on location in Tulsa and other Oklahoma cities. Tulsa King season 2, however, moved production to Savannah, Georgia, reportedly due to budget concerns, as Georgia has lucrative tax breaks for production companies, and because the show’s cast complained about the extreme heat in Oklahoma (via The Oklahoman).

Filming a show named Tulsa King in Georgia was immediately a controversial decision. Tulsa and Oklahoma at large are massive parts of Tulsa King‘s identity and story. Many fans of the show were upset that a show with “Tulsa” in its name wasn’t even filmed in Oklahoma for seasons 2 and 3. The filming location was already a problem when it was in Georgia, but given the state’s Southern location and some rural filming areas, it could at least believably pass as Oklahoma.

Now that Tulsa King season 5 is set to film in New York, this controversy surrounding filming locations will almost surely get worse. There are rural parts of upstate New York that could pass as Oklahoma, but the state is far from Southern. This change in production could easily be construed as a loss of the show’s authenticity and a departure from the show’s central conceit, of a mob boss founding a criminal empire in the South.

Even if Tulsa King addresses the change in filming location within the show itself, this change could add to the problems with authenticity. Tulsa King is, by its very title and every season so far, a show about a New York mobster being a fish out of water and learning the ins and outs of life in Oklahoma while he establishes a criminal empire. If Dwight spends most of Tulsa King season 5 in New York, it will feel like a completely different show from the first four seasons.

Release Date

November 13, 2022

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Dave Erickson, Terence Winter

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