“Come with this idea”: Tulsa King’s Sylvester Stallone shares how Sicario prevented a Sheridan-penned Rambo movie

Sylvester Stallone says an early plan to have Taylor Sheridan help write a new Rambo changed both men’s careers and ultimately contributed to Tulsa King.

Sylvester Stallone told PEOPLE that when they first met, he asked Sheridan,

“Why don’t you help me write Rambo, the fourth one?”

Sheridan replied, “I’m working on this thing called Sicario.”

Stallone added,

“So he went off in his own direction, and so did I. About ten years later, here he comes with this idea”

A reference to the pitch that became the show. That exchange was important because Sheridan chose to finish the screenplay for Sicario, a move that established him as a writer and opened creative opportunities.

Stallone has mentioned seeing a parallel with his own transition from small acting roles to writing and starring in Rocky. The choice to focus on Sicario meant Sheridan wasn't available to co-write Rambo. However, it laid the groundwork for the later Sheridan–Stallone partnership on the now famous television project.

How did Sheridan’s Sicario shape his career and lead to a new project?

When Sheridan finished the work that became Sicario, he transitioned from being a working actor to a writer whose scripts attracted broad attention. That change led to films like Hell or High Water and later TV franchises such as Yellowstone. Stallone’s recounting of their first barn meeting and Sheridan’s response about Sicario show that the initial Rambo idea was set aside because Sheridan envisioned a different path. The shift matters on a practical level.

Sheridan’s growing reputation made him a showrunner who could offer Sylvester Stallone a different kind of role.

What does the shelved Rambo idea mean for Sylvester Stallone and Tulsa King?

For Sylvester Stallone, missing out on a Sheridan co-write for Rambo did not close a door but opened a new one. Years later, Sheridan reached out to Stallone with a new concept: a mobster sent to Oklahoma and forced to adapt.

Stallone agreed to play Dwight “The General” Manfredi, and the series began with his character arriving in Tulsa, confronting local figures, and assembling a crew. The pilot features him extorting a dispensary owner and recruiting a taxi driver as his driver, concrete moments that set the tone for the show’s mix of dark humor and crime drama.

Season three of Tulsa King premiered in September 2025, when Stallone was again working with Sheridan’s creative team, and new cast members joined the production. Sylvester Stallone has described the role as a chance to play a layered character who blends physical presence with dialogue-driven scenes, a contrast to some of his earlier action work.

Why does the anecdote matter now?

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The story Sylvester Stallone tells is a clear example of how timing and choices shape careers in Hollywood. Sheridan’s decision to finish Sicario rather than take on a Rambo script helped make him a sought-after writer and built his market position to offer Sylvester Stallone a television lead role eventually.

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