Bella Heathcote joined the Tulsa King season 3 cast as the Tulsa native Cleo Montague, who, according to the actor, has undeniable chemistry with Garrett Hedlund’s Mitch. Speaking of her stint in Tulsa King, in an exclusive interview with Fandomwire, Heathcote shared that it was wild joining the show when it wasn’t completely written.
Oh man. I mean. It was wild to step into a show where, you know, it hadn’t all been written yet. So that was being developed as the season went along.
Although the prospect of a show heading to production without a finished script might concern some fans, this isn’t an anomaly in the business (just look at Christopher McQuarrie’s MI movies). In fact, this flexibility could allow the show to benefit from Sylvester Stallone‘s impeccable improv skills.
Tulsa King Season 3 Will Lean Heavily on Sylvester Stallone’s Improv Chops
Sylvester Stallone’s commitment to the Paramount+ original transcends his role as Dwight, as he was heavily involved with the production. Having been a writer/director himself, who concluded Rocky‘s script in 3 days, Stallone is no stranger to improv in Tulsa King
His co-star, Martin Star, confessed that the Rocky star prefers improv and freedom with the words at times, and per Heathcote, he had a big hand in shaping season 3’s approach, which developed concurrently during filming. As for Heathcote’s character, the chemistry between Mitch and Cleo was the highlight of her experience.
I think Sly had a huge hand in that. But what I knew coming in was she was a lot of fun and a lot of trouble. She has this undeniable chemistry with Mitch, and you know, she’s dealing with stuff at home with her dad, with the distillery, and marrying those two worlds. The sort of tension and drama of what’s happening on the home front and the sexual tension between these two (Cleo and Mitch) was like a lot of fun to explore.
Considering Stallone has a history of improv, most notably the iconic steps scene in Rocky (via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), compared to most productions, season 3 doesn’t sound alarming at all. On the contrary, it could add to Dwight’s charm, a character that has been a revelation in terms of Stallone’s comedic chops.
Original Tulsa King Showrunner Will Return in Season 4
Showrunner and head writer of the first two seasons, Terence Winter, dropped out of season 3 to prioritize his other projects, leaving Fear the Walking Dead co-creator Dave Erickson in charge of the new installment.
Winter, who acquired the reins of the show from Taylor Sheridan, is now set to return for the fourth season (via Deadline), which has been officially greenlit even before season 3 premiered. The renewal hardly comes as a surprise, as the IP has been one of the most dominating series in the Paramount+ catalog.
Beyond season 4’s renewal, a spin-off, titled NOLA King, starring Samuel L. Jackson, remains in the works, and Paramount is reportedly eyeing to continue Tulsa King for two more years after season 4, given Stallone remains involved. With Jackson set to mark his debut in the upcoming season, it’ll be a blast to see Stallone’s Dwight and the former’s Russell Lee encounter.
What are your hopes for Tulsa King season 3? Comment below!
Tulsa King season 3 premieres on September 21 on Paramount+ (USA).
Watch Bella Heathcote’s full interview here:
