Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King Kicks Off Season 4 as the Showrunner Shuffle Strikes Again — and a Key Role Goes Missing

Tulsa King is a legit hit, but behind the curtain it sounds like controlled chaos. Season 4 is rolling cameras in Atlanta without a showrunner, and the production just cut more than two dozen crew members right before things really got underway. Let’s unpack what that actually means and how we got here.

So... who is running the show?

Short answer: it depends who you ask. According to Variety and multiple sources on the ground, Scott Stone — the executive in charge of production at 101 Studios, which produces Tulsa King — is acting as the de facto boss. He’s working alongside unit production managers Rebecca Rivo and Christian Agypt to keep the trains moving. Important detail: none of those three are writing scripts or directing episodes.

"We are not going to have a showrunner. 101 is the showrunner."

— That’s what stunt coordinator Freddie Poole says he was told when he asked who would be in charge this season. His reaction? A raised eyebrow and a mental note to look out for himself.

The quick-and-dirty timeline

• Season 1: Terence Winter serves as showrunner.
• Before Season 2: Winter steps away from the showrunner gig but stays on as a writer and executive producer. Executive producer/director Craig Zisk takes over as primary showrunner for Season 2.
• Season 3: Dave Erickson comes in as showrunner after a successful run on Mayor of Kingstown. Behind the scenes, there were rumblings of creative tension between Erickson and Sylvester Stallone, and Stallone pushed to bring Winter back. Winter did return — but only as head writer and an executive producer. He’s currently in the writers room in Los Angeles, not with the production in Atlanta.
• Season 4 (now): No official showrunner. Stone is functioning as the default lead from the production side, with Rivo and Agypt helping run the operation. Meanwhile, more than two dozen crew members were fired right before the Atlanta shoot ramped up.

Why this is a big deal

TV shows almost never go forward without a showrunner. You can technically make episodes this way, but it leaves the production feeling leaderless and opens the door for stuff to fall through the cracks. This is especially dicey on a fast-moving series with big personalities and lots of moving parts.

The show itself is still a ratings winner, which is probably why the machine is powering through. But the leadership shuffle, the crew cuts, and the split between the LA writers room and the Atlanta set make this season feel... fragile.

Will they name a showrunner before too much footage is in the can? They should. Until then, 101 Studios is effectively steering the ship — and hoping the audience never notices the wake.