Key Insights
- Tulsa King is currently without a showrunner for Season 4, which raises concerns about its production.
- Scott Stone is acting as the default showrunner, but he is not involved in writing or directing.
- Freddie Poole expressed surprise at the lack of a dedicated showrunner, indicating potential instability.
- Previous showrunners have faced creative differences, affecting the show’s leadership structure.
Taylor Sheridan and Sylvester Stallone‘s Tulsa King is a smash hit in almost every regard. While viewership continues to exceed that of a crime boss’s cleaning bill, it could benefit from guidance behind the scenes. For the moment, Tulsa King is operating without a showrunner for its Season 4 production. Why? A lack of leadership, for one. But let’s take a look at the show’s history and see if we can’t figure it out.
Recently, the show fired more than two dozen crew members, which was particularly close to the start of the fourth season’s Atlanta production. According to multiple sources, Scott Stone, executive in charge of production from 101 Studios – which produces Tulsa King – is the show’s default showrunner. He is said to be working closely with unit production managers Rebecca Rivo and Christian Agypt in running the series. None of the three is involved in the writing or directing of the show, Variety reports.
Meanwhile, Freddie Poole, Tulsa King’s stunt coordinator, inquired about who would be in charge for the upcoming season, and the answer was surprising. “[Stone] said, ‘We’re not going to have a showrunner. 101 is the showrunner.’ And I raised an eyebrow at that,” Poole says. “That was the writing on the wall for me. I knew at that point I better start looking out for myself.”
Terence Winter was the showrunner on Season 1 of Tulsa King, but exited the position before production on Season 2 could begin. He remained a writer and executive producer on Season 2, with executive producer and director Craig Zisk serving as the primary showrunner for that season. When Season 3 rolled around, Dave Erickson became the showrunner after a successful run on Mayor of Kingstown. However, watercooler whispers suggest that Erickson and Stallone experienced creative differences, leading to tension and Stallone’s demand that Winter be brought back into the fold. Winter returned, but only as the head writer and an executive producer. For the moment, Winter’s place is in the writers’ room in Los Angeles, not with the production team in Atlanta.
While a show can continue without a showrunner, it’s mostly unheard of. No showrunner makes the show look rudderless, and without someone to take the reins, much could slip through the cracks. Will a shorunner be found before too much of Tulsa King Season 4 is in the can? Does this spell doom for the series? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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